Staff with the State’s Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) are planning a 24-hour work stoppage from tonight with further strike action to follow. The Fórsa trade union’s marine branch represents approximately 110 members of the SFPA. More on that here. 

School principals and boards of management have been urged to take immediate steps to ensure adequate ventilation and air quality in classrooms and to provide special needs assistants with FFP2-grade face masks. Fórsa official Shane Lambert also spoke to KildareFM to highlight the issue and you can listen back here. 

Meanwhile, Dublin Fire Brigade management have been urged to “redouble their efforts” to ensure recruitment levels take account of the number of firefighters/paramedics due to retire this year. Last October, firefighters held a protest outside the Mansion House amid claims of crews suffering from exhaustion due to staff shortages.

Elsewhere, SIPTU and Fórsa have written to the Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, seeking a meeting with him to discuss the long running dispute over the future provision of Local Employment Services (LES) and Job Clubs.

And Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has raised the possibility of some restrictions on hospitality and live events being eased by this weekend.

Finally, in an incredible reunion story, a woman was reunited with her cat, who had been missing for over eight months, after recognising his meow over a phone call by chance. 

Have a good one folks.