The Supreme Court has said it intends to refer Graham Dwyer's case over the retention and accessing of his mobile phone metadata to the Court of Justice of the European Union, making its decision by a majority of six to one. The Indo also examines the case, calling for a reform of the 'illegal system of mass surveillance'.

New figures released by the INMO indicate that there are 573 patients being treated on trolleys at hospitals nationwide, including 81 at University Hospital Limerick alone. It's the second-highest figure seen at UHL this year, following the record-breaking 92 people on trolleys on January 6.

Cleaning staff at University Hospital Waterford are taking to the picket lines this morning. Around 125 members of the Unite trade union are striking in a row over changes to their working conditions without consultation.

Elsewhere, health workers in Northern Ireland have voted to accept proposals on pay parity and safe staffing levels. It ends months of strike action that saw thousands of appointments and procedures postponed as staff took to the picket lines.

The Times reports that Bank of Ireland is planning deeper cost cuts and the sale of hundreds of millions of euro of distressed mortgages, after warning on Monday that it will not be able to meet key profitability targets as ultra-low interest rates squeeze lenders’ incomes.

Victims of sexual assault have hailed the conviction of Harvey Weinstein in a New York courtroom on Monday after the disgraced former movie producer was found guilty of two counts of sexual assault. In a ruling that was seen as a watershed legal case for victims of sexual assault, Weinstein was found guilty of two of the five charges brought against him by prosecutors in New York.

Mastercard is set to create 1,500 jobs in Ireland over the next three to five years. Dublin will become Mastercard's Technology Hub for Europe from a new campus site in Leopardstown.

And finally, the leaders of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, Leo Varadkar and Micheál Martin, are expected to meet later today for exploratory talks. It will be the first sit-down discussions between Mr Varadkar and Mr Martin since the General Election.

We have some George Harrison for our zen this morning. The ex-Beatle would have been 77 today. 

Have a flippin' good day folks (I'll stop with the puns now).