Air traffic over Ireland was suspended once again late last week. The third such incident in a month. Coverage in extra.ie (via The Mail) includes comment from Fórsa on the staffing shortage behind the traffic suspensions.

ICTU chief Owen Reidy was interviewed by the Business Post under the headline "House prices will have to fall if we don’t want our kids to emigrate." The feature includes Owen making the case for a raise in the employer's rate of PRSI (11.5%) to the European average of 22%.

In the same paper, a “legal problem” encountered by An Bord Pleanála has placed the planning permissions of up to 27,000 homes, already delayed, in jeopardy.

Other stories in the Post include the DAA stating Dublin doesn't need a third airport terminal, the OPW are to write to the President about housing refugees at the Áras, while the Irish FIscal Advisory Council warns against the Government spending its bumper corporate tax windfalls.

Elsewhere, FF's Jim O'Callaghan says mandatory drug testing of gardaí should be implemented ‘without delay’, following news that a gard was arrested on suspicion of possessing cocaine at Dublin Airport on Thursday.  

The Communications Unit published a fresh set of news bulletins on Friday (21st April). The bulletins are archived on the website and available here:

• Civil Service
• Education
• Health & Welfare
• Local Authorities  / Muno
• Services & Enterprises

Zen

Your Zen today starts with the Japanese festival of hanami (flower viewing), celebrating the mankai (full bloom) of the cherry blossoms, as seen above in the Irish War Memorial Gardens in Islandbridge over the weekend. Seeing as the weather is more manky than mankai, I'll throw in a bonus Zen. Enjoy Fred Armisen's complete history of punk rock, which includes Lou Reed "wahkken daahn dah buleh-vahd wid a flowah."

Have a lovely week.

Niall