Fórsa and SIPTU members have been left dismayed at the Department of Social Protections handling of employment services. Fórsa Assistant General Secretary, Lynn Coffey has called for for a minimum extension of the current contracts until the end of the year. She also indicated that to continue with the marketisation of these critical services as we enter into a very unpredictable economic period goes against all logic. You can read the full press release here.

A man has died following an assault in Sligo on Tuesday evening. Gardaí issued an appeal for witnesses on Wednesday night after the man’s condition deteriorated and he was transferred to Dublin for specialist treatment. 

Teachers have voted against marking their own students work in the new Leaving Cert reform planned by Norma Foley.  The Association of Secondary Teachers’ Ireland (ASTI) unanimously endorsed an emergency motion to maintain a firm policy that teachers do not assess their students’ work for State exam certification. 

Up to 33,000 Ukranians could be left seeking shelter in Ireland after it was revealed almost 50% of accomodation pledges failed to materialise. Taoiseach Micheal Martin expressed a hope that pledges for homes could be brought on stream more quickly in the coming weeks.

In Ukriane Russian troops are continuing their assault in Mariupol. Ukraine's last pocket of resistance in the city are held up at a steel plant. Ukranian negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak tweeted that Ukraine is ready to offer unconditional talks to Russia on the evacuation of its miltary garrison in the city.

ZEN

On this day in 1984 Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' was knocked off the charts after 37 weeks at number 1. What knocked it off was the incredible movie soundtrack from 'Footloose'