South Dublin County Council issued this statement yesterday in response to planned industrial action by Fórsa members from next Monday, while the Galway Advertiser reports that Fórsa has called for a public vote to assess Galwegians’ opinions on moving City Hall from College Road to Mervue. 

Elsewhere, the Central Bank has reduced its forecast for economic growth due to rising uncertainty, while a customs advisor firm is urging businesses that export to the US to lobby the EU to get their products removed from tariff lists, and the Gards look set for a scrap with the new minister.

Meanwhile, commercial vacancy rates in the Republic hit a high of 14% last year. That's more than 30,000 business locations classified as vacant, as it's reported that the State is on track to deliver less than 20% of the apartments it aimed for under a key scheme designed to deliver more homes. 

Finally, (and, you might say, despite everything that's going on) Ireland has been named the 15th-happiest country in the world in the 2025 World Happiness Report, rising two places since last year. 

Zen 

Your Zen this morning tips the hat to David Simon's seminal TV drama The Wire. I just finished watching three seasons of his follow-up show, The Deuce, a hard-nosed - but not hard-hearted - drama set within the street life of Times Square, New York, in the 70s and 80s. The show features a few Wire alumni in the cast, and as one of the characters leaves The Deuce for the last time, he announces he's going to see his cousin in Baltimore, whose name will be known to fans of The Wire. As good a reason as any to pay a visit back to Baltimore. 

Have a lovely day. 

Niall Shanahan