Grocery prices are now climbing at their fastest rate in more than two years, with the rate of inflation in Irish supermarkets put at almost 7% when compared with this time last year.

Elsewhere, the BBC reports that specialist health workers have turned down offers designed to end the longest strike in NHS history. A total of 37 phlebotomists, at Gloucestershire Royal and Cheltenham General hospitals, have been taking action since last March.

Meanwhile, a housing estate in Kilternan, Dublin, remains empty following recent floods. The 22-home estate, opened in 2024, was built as an exemplar of social housing and allocated to families by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. 

The assistant secretary general of the Department of Transport, Garret Doocey, is expected to be named as the new “housing tsar” by the Government today.

Dominic Coyle writes that thousands of Irish women who lived in the UK may be entitled to a refund after being underpaid by British pension authorities. More than 230,000 women are understood to have been paid less than they were entitled to in UK state pension. A far smaller number of men is also affected. 

Your Zen this morning is a tune from an album recently recommended by a friend of mine. Ramblin' comes from Charles Lloyd & The Marvels' Tone Poem. 

Have a lovely day.

NS