Fórsa is one of many civic society organisations highlighting the need for a public system of early childhood education and care in today's Irish Times letters.

The Irish Times reported last Friday that the Government has instructed the HSE to introduce “a more decisive shift” in staff working arrangements "to ensure more services for patients are available over an extended day, into the evening, and at weekends." If you don't have a subscription the article is available to read here. It was followed on Saturday with HSE staffing increase would not prevent industrial action, union official warns.

Elsewhere, the Indo reports that the state pension bill has "spiralled" past €10bn for the first time as the population ages, "with further pressure on the public purse inevitable in the coming years.Further increases to the PRSI will be needed to fund the inevitable growth in the bill, experts have warned."

On a new government, a deal looks close.

Zen 

I came across this clip over the weekend and it made me laugh.

Have a great week. 

Niall Shanahan