Good morning everyone.

Here's a listen to what it says in the papers, leading with a Government memo on losses to the tourism industry due to a shortage of hotel beds.

That shortage is attributed to the allocation of hotel accommodation to asylum seekers. Meanwhile, the Connaught Tribune follows up on last week's business at Mayo County Council, in which Fórsa's intervention is mentioned.

Media coverage for last week's divisional conferences includes the emergency motion on better protections for library staff in relation to anti-LGBTQ+ protests, and the SED motion on doubling the amount of domestic violence leave available to workers, in addition to widespread nation and local media coverage of the job evaluation ballot result in the Local Government and Local Services division.

Elsewhere, SIPTU members at the National Ambulance Service have also voted in favour of industrial action, while the INMO conference last week has echoed the general secretary's message to the INTO conference a couple of weeks ago, on the need to maintain cost-of-living as the focus in the next phase of public service pay talks.

Zen

Saturday's news, needless to say, was dominated by the chatter around Liberty Hall as the Robert Tressel festival was in full swing. The crowning achievement of the day was the family reunion between union leader Mick Lynch and Lankum's Darragh Lynch. The king of the day's proceedings was our good friend and colleague Paddy Cole. Maith an fear Paddy, agus bualadh bos.

And let's give a shout out to retired colleague Ray Ryan, who celebrated a roundy birthday at the weekend. Many happy returns Ray.

Finally, trade union friends and colleagues and members of Fórsa's Dublin City branch gathered on Saturday morning to bid a fond farewell to a brilliant trade unionist, campaigner and former Lord Mayor of Dublin Michael O'Halloran.

I had the good fortune to work with Michael on the Older & Bolder campaign many years ago when he was head of the Seniors Parliament. A lovely man with a brilliant mind, quick wit and an unquenchable desire for fairness and justice.

He will be missed, and we extend Fórsa deepest condolences to Michael's family.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a h'anam dílis.

This short piece of music by Nora Brown completes our Zen moment this morning.

Have a great week.

Niall