The Irish Association of Former Parliamentarians will hold their 9th Annual Seminar today in the Seanad Chamber in Leinster House. The theme of the seminar is “The challenges and Opportunities of a Multicultural Society” and will include an address by general secretary Kevin Callinan.
In the Irish Times today Justine McCarthy writes "Four years ago, we were clapping health workers in the street. Now we’re reducing their benefits." The opinion piece is prompted by the Government's termination of the special sick pay scheme for the tiny proportion of staff who have developed long Covid and can no longer work.
The papers in Cork report that county councillors there have backed a call to reverse the pay cut for healthcare workers still suffering with long covid.
Elsewhere, Michael McGrath and Paschal Donohoe travel to Washington DC next week for a series of high-level discussions with the IMF and representatives of the World Bank. On the agenda are global economic stability and innovations to tackle climate change.
At the WRC a nurse who said she was denied a permanent contract because she was pregnant has won over €56,000 for maternity discrimination. The award follows her former employer, and its lawyers, abandoning a maternity rights hearing over how the name of the firm was filled out on the complaint form.
Meanwhile, the award to former Debenhams staff has been halved on appeal by the Labour Court. About €2 million was awarded to 800 staff for the failure of the company to properly consult with them ahead of the closure of its stores four years ago.
A date for your diary: the ICTU Raise the Roof campaign willhold a rally at the Dáil on 23rd April
Finally, the Irish Times continues to host the discussion on Irish unity. Today historian Diarmaid Ferriter writes "money should not be the deciding factor but nor should it be ignored" and says 50 years of polling in the South suggests two-thirds wish to see a united Ireland, but that this is qualified when money comes up. The letters page also plays host to responses Bobby McDonagh's piece from earlier in the week.
Zen
Your Zen moment today is a bright, cheerful and fun-oriented pop song from Paul McCartney. Sometimes you need the music served at this tone and temperature, and I say that as somebody who's been listening to new albums by Bob Vylan and Einstürzende Neubauten all this week (both of which are excellent).
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