With our lunchtime protests continuing this week in Tralee and Clonmel, Shauna Bowers takes a timely look at the relationship between our ageing population and the provision of healthcare: 'How will the country cope with the health implications of these changing demographics?' 

In other IR news, The Journal reports that a Jehovah's witness who worked in a residential centre for people with intellectual disabilities has lost a claim that she suffered discrimination on religious grounds by being asked to accompany residents to Mass, while it's reported (via Irish Daily Mail) 200 staff working on Fair City have been warned by their union that there is ‘no plan B’ if RTÉ cannot find a new independent company to take on production of the soap. 

Meanwhile, Pilita Clark wants to know why people insist on coming to the office when they’re sick.

Elsewhere, the higher education minister has announced the launch of Atlantic Technological University’s (ATU) new Master of Pharmacy programme, while the Irish Times digs deeper on the shortage of teachers in schools (behind the paywall): Teacher supply crisis: ‘There are times when we’ve had no applications for vacant positions’.

Meanwhile, it's reported that workers who refuse to handle goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements are to be protected under a bill being brought forward by the Labour party. 

Zen

Your Zen moment this morning is another nugget mined from this year's Dublin Theatre Festival. On Friday I went to see Anabelle Comyn's stage adaptation of JM Coetzee's The Jesus Trilogy, an epic tale of a stranger in a strange land. Brilliant performances across the board with a talented ensemble cast. Mesmerising.

Have a great week.

Niall