Good morning colleagues,

Here's a look at some of today's front pages. Yesterday's draw at Croke Park, An Post in difficulty, Irish university rankings fall, Ibec on Brexit fallout, 'too many' homeless services providers and an independent review of Oberstown detention centre is to be conducted.

On Oberstown, the Minister for Children, Katherine Zappone said the centre has experienced significant changes and that “A number of serious incidents and industrial action by staff at the campus have highlighted the need to reflect on the progress achieved.” She said the review was aimed at ensuring “the safety of all at Oberstown.”

Board of management chair, Ursula Kilkelly, was interviewed on RTE's Morning Ireland this morning (not yet available online). She said everyone wants to see best practise implemented at Oberstown, and for morale and safety to improve. The programme also discussed the issue with Deirdre Malone, Executive Director of the Irish Penal Reform Trust, who welcomed that the voice of all stakeholders, including staff and residents, would be included in the review.

IMPACT continues to engage in the WRC process aimed at resolving the industrial dispute over safety at the campus.

Our IMPACT colleagues in Sligo were out in force on Saturday to rally against the closure of Sligo Central Library. That story was widely covered by local media and also on RTE (link includes audio and video featuring IMPACT president Pat Fallon), while latest reports state that Minister for Local Government, Simon Coveney, is to meet with the CEO of Sligo County Council, Ciaran Hayes on Wednesday to discuss the crisis surrounding the future of the County’s libraries (link includes audio of IMPACT's RIchy Carrothers).

The Sunday Times carried a front page story on the number of staff required (140) to manage sick pay in the public service, while the Mail on Sunday attempted to stoke a little outrage by reporting on IMPACT's recent blog about...toys. Fulfilling the newspaper's remit to report all trade union-related stories under the banner of "union fury", The Mail reports that we're raging at the Late Late Toy Show (we're not) and that we haven't ruled out staging a protest at the next broadcast (Eh?). 

It doesn't stop there, Anton Savage has just given a chunk of his newspaper review this morning to coverage of the same issue in today's Daily Mirror (Lughan, what have you unleashed?) In case you missed it, here's Lughan and Trish's blog (currently on the IMPACT website homepage) Workplace sexism? It’s child’s play.

Elsewhere, the Irish Times reports that the growth of private foster firms means "children in care in Ireland have created an opportunity to run a profitable business."

Your moment of Zen this morning is a joke by London Mayor Sadiq Khan.

Have a good week.

Niall Shanahan

Twitter feeds & other links:

• Union News (ICTU)
• #impactnewsdigest 
• Work&Life
• IMPACT