Good morning colleagues,

The latest report on rising rents was a topic of discussion in the Dáil yesterday, while the Irish Times reports today that the finance minister has ruled out the provision of special allowances to public service staff in Dublin to take account of the higher costs associated with working in the capital. He was addressing the Oireachtas finance committee, and said the State was facing greater difficulties in retaining staff than in recruiting staff, particularly in Dublin.

The same report says the minister outlined the work being carried out with Public Service Pay Commission in relation to recruitment and retention in the health service. The same news item also outlines Fórsa's submission to the commission, which details difficulties in attracting solicitors to work for the Legal Aid Board, meteorologists for Met Éireann, valuers for the Government’s Valuation Office, special educational needs organisers and radio officers for the Irish Coast Guard service.

Elsewhere, the lump sum payments to a small number of retiring public servants, including the Garda Commissioner, attracts attention. Two Government ministers have asked the finance minister to examine the tax treatment of landlords who commit to the delivery of long-term social housing, and Garda whistleblower Sgt Maurice McCabe's lawyer has told the Disclosures tribunal he accepts that the inclusion of a false allegation against him in a HSE report was not the result of any deliberate action or ill will.

Meanwhile, the Irish language appears to be the latest stumbling block to establish a power sharing agreement in Stormont. I confess, the news made me think of this strongly worded anecdote from Des Bishop.

Finally, here's the latest Brexit thoughts from Janan Ganesh.

Your Zen this morning marks the untimely passing of Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson, a personal favourite. Perhaps best known for scoring the films of Denis Villeneuve, including Arrival, Prisoners and Sicario, he first came to my attention when John Kelly introduced one of his albums on Lyric fm one afternoon many years ago. And In The Endless Pause There Came The Sound Of Bees. The title was enough to make me an instant fan.

The enclosed piece of music, Fordlandia, is the title track from Jóhannsson's 2008 album, inspired by the true story of the failed rubber plantation Henry Ford established in the Amazon in 1920s. Deserves some quiet time to really get into it.