There's additional coverage of Kevin Callinan's address to the retired parliamentarians group last Friday in Drogheda Life, while the Indo reports that ICTU has raised concerns that a loophole in the legislation underpinning the planned auto-enrolment pension scheme could see large numbers of workers losing out.

Elsewhere on pensions and work, the Irish Legal publication examines proposals to give employees a right to work until the State pension age.

There's some pre-Budget, pre-election fever in the air as the Irish Times comments: "Barely halfway through April, and the Government parties are already engaged in a land grab claiming credit for budget goodies that won’t be decided for around five months." Tax cuts, welfare increases, and the possibility of more energy credits have all been dangled out there in the last week or so.

The governor of the Central Bank of Ireland has said it's vital that oversight of the financial system keeps pace with change, highlighting the risks posed to the global financial system from funds and other non-bank vehicles, and calling for greater global co-ordination among policymakers and regulators. As the IMF and World Bank spring meetings get underway in Washington this week, the Irish Times reports that Central Bank governor Gabriel Makhlouf had noted that "certain types of funds and their risk strategies had amplified recent financial shocks."

Meanwhile, the Restaurants Association of Ireland has commissioned a report, to be published today, which says a restaurant closing in Ireland can cost the Exchequer up to €1.36 million and on average involves the loss of 22 direct jobs. So far this year 212 restaurants, cafes and other food businesses have shut.

Highland Radio (broadcasting in Donegal and the North West) reports that the potential use of AI in the public sector is the focus of a series of workshops taking place over the next two days at the Inishowen Innovation Hub in Buncrana. 

Meanwhile, all eyes are on Israel, and Fintan O'Toole's column today is well worth a read.

Zen

Your Zen moment today follows on from my enjoyment of Ripley on Netflix this week (just one episode left). Apparently, one of the attractions of period settings for filmmakers and TV dramatists is that they don't have to insert constant phone use into the the action, allowing them to focus on what characters are thinking or saying to each other, free of distractions.

One Italian restaurant has taken measures to ensure its diners are similarly unencumbered. Al Condominio in Verona is offering a free bottle of wine to customers who relinquish their mobile phones during meals. Suffice to say the restaurant has done a roaring trade among those willing to partake in the mobile phone detox. La dolce vita indeed.

Have a great day.

Niall