News emerged yesterday that Frances O'Grady is to step down as general secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) after nine years in post. On election in 2013, she became the first woman to lead the TUC - the UK's umbrella group for unions, which represents millions of workers.

Back here, UCD has been ordered to pay €15,000 by the Workplace Relations Commission in compensation for dismissing a manager at the end of a contract term when she had acquired the right to a permanent role.

Senior civil servants, including Martin Fraser and Robert Watt, are to be called before an Oireachtas committee investigating the circumstances surrounding the abandoned appointment of Tony Holohan to an academic position in Trinity.

Earlier, a report by the Department of Health secretary general Robert Watt said it was normal practice for Stephen Donnelly not to be made aware of the details of chief medical officer Tony Holohan’s now-abandoned move to Trinity College Dublin.

The Government will today announce plans to cut Vat on electricity and gas to ensure homeowners are not impacted by environmental tax increase. But families that heat their homes with oil will miss out on this move to address the cost of living crisis.

Meanwhile, more than half of would-be home-buyers say that the rising cost of living is having a negative impact on their plans to purchase a property. A new survey by property listing site MyHome.ie found that 52% of respondents said inflation was affecting their ability to purchase.

And Brian O'Donovan reflects on the pros and cons of remote working in this piece. 

Zen

On this day in 1974, Elton John went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Bennie And The Jets', his second US No.1. John was set against releasing it as a single, believing it would fail. CKLW in Windsor, Ontario, began heavy airplay of the song and it became the No.1 song in the Detroit market with other radio stations adding it to playlists.