Ireland has begun the clean up operation as Storm Ali wrecked havoc as she crossed the country yesterday. ESB Networks says 39,000 homes, farms and businesses are still without power this morning after the storm. Repair crews worked through the night, but 1,600 individual faults remain on the network. It says it hopes to restore power to everyone affected today. Sadly there were two fatalities as a result of yesterdays weather. A woman in her 50's sadly lost her life when the caravan she was staying in blew off a cliff in the early hours of yesterday morning. A young man in his 20's also died in Northern Ireland when a fallen tree hit his car.
We may need to batten down the hatches once more as Met Éireann has advised that it is monitoring whether another storm could arrive as soon as this weekend . “There’s a potential storm that may develop over the weekend,” meteorologist Pat Clarke said. “We’re monitoring it with the British Met Office to see whether it will happen or not. There is a lot of uncertainty about tracks and whether it will develop or not.”
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and British Prime Minister Theresa May have held a 40-minute meeting in Salzburg, ahead of an informal summit of the 27 EU leaders. Following the meeting Mr Varadkar told reporters that any agreement on the backstop would be between the UK and the European Union, and not between Ireland and the UK. Entering the summit venue, Mr Varakdar said: "Prime Minister May and I have conversations about this all the time but this is a negotiation between the European Union and the United Kingdom. "Ireland is staying at the heart of Europe, we're staying in the single market and the euro, and we helped defend those great projects that have brought enormous prosperity across the continent of Europe.
The Irish Times reports that almost 200 sites and properties worth millions of euros are lying empty in Dublin city and county amid a housing and homeless crisis, data compiled by authorities show.Vacant sites worth more than €400 million have been identified at 114 locations across Dublin city and county, the vast majority of which - almost 90 - are in the Dublin city area.
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions has said that it is to seek a meeting with the Garda Commissioner over concerns in relation to the policing of rallies and demonstrations. This follows a meeting of the Congress Executive Council at which the policing of recent housing protests was discussed. General Secretary Patricia King said: “Congress condemns outright the sinister nature of the recent removal of peaceful activists and protestors by private and unaccountable persons, with masked Gardaí present.
The Independent reports that households are set to be up to €190 worse off after the 2018 Budget . According to analysis carried out by The Irish Tax Institute, the Budget is likely to see an increase in the amount of money people can earn before they hit the top rate of income tax, but this could be cancelled out by a rise in PRSI and higher carbon taxes. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has indicated that there is likely to be an increase in the higher rate entry point to stop so much of people's incomes being taxed at higher rates.
A gentle reminder that Fórsa's youth network will be holding their first public meeting this evening in Wynns Hotel Dublin from 7pm. All are welcome to attend. The event will focus on issues pertinant to younger workers with topics such as the housing crisis, pay inequality and precarious work up for discussion. For more information please click here.
Our Zen this morning is brought to you by Cystic Fibrosis campaigner Orla Tinsley. On Monday last, RTE aired her documentary "Warrior". Having left Ireland to study in Columbia University, Orla Tinsley turned 30 in NYC, and, at almost the same time, was put on the list for a double lung transplant there. This documentary followed the highs , and excruciatingly low lows of her journey towards a double lung transplant. Orla's infectious positivity is hard not to fall in love with, and while this documentary can be hard viewing at times, it is an important watch and highlights the importance of organ donation. In the three days since it's airing the number of requests to become an organ donor in Ireland rose by 4,000. Click here to be brought to the documentary.
