Ahead of yesterday's WRC talks the Indo reported that the HSE was describing a "surge in hospital staff numbers" as evidence of "no widespread staffing crisis."

The Examiner reports on the concerns of SMEs and small firms in relation to pension auto-enrolment. The Small Firms Association (SFA), for example,  is calling for a temporary PRSI rebate to assist struggling small businesses.

Staying with that sector, Business Plus reports that "a transatlantic trade war will hit Ireland harder than the 2008 financial crash," ahead of the announcement of new US tariffs on Wednesday (2nd April).

Elsewhere, Uisce Éireann chairman Jerry Grant has said the State’s water and sewerage systems “are in a desperate state” because of “extraordinary complacency” and “passive indifference” around investment in infrastructure; new ESRI research shows that immigrants living in Ireland are twice as likely as Irish-born people to be at risk of poverty after paying their rent or mortgage.

Zen 

A new release from Kae Tempest always warrants a Zen inclusion as far as I'm concerned and their latest holds up that convention. I think it might have been Europe is Lost or Marshall Law I featured in Zen as much as 10 years ago. Since then Kae has continued to be groundbreaking as well as prolific, and remains one of the UK's finest lyricists and a genuine creative powerhouse. The new tune, released last week, is Statue in the Square.

Have a lovely weekend. 

Niall Shanahan