Yesterday's launch of the "More Power To You" campaign garnered lots of coverage with RTE and The Examiner carrying stories. The campaign is a collaboration between Fórsa, SIPTU and CONNECT trade unions, and seeks to start a conversation on the future of local government in the run up to May’s local elections. Dr Mary Murphy of Maynooth University led the research and was on Sean O'Rourke yesterday, talking about the campaign.

Both The Examiner and The Times reported on Minister for Education, Joe McHugh's release announcing the trialling of a new School Inclusion Model, which he said would better support students with special educational and additional care needs.  Fórsa has called for immediate consultation on Government plans to introduce changes in the funding and delivery of the service. You can read the unions response here.

Theresa May has told Conservative MPs she will quit as prime minister soon after her Brexit deal is approved. None the less the government remained well short of a majority for the deal last night after the DUP said it would not vote for it. MPs last night voted on eight alternatives to Mrs May’s deal in a series of votes but none won a majority.

Both Navan and Limerick City East have met the criteria for inclusion in  Rent Pressure Zones for the first time, in a report issued by The RTB. The 'Rent Index' shows that annually, national rents went up by 6.9% to €1,134 in Quarter 4 of 2018, from the same time the previous year. Meanwhile, Former Minister of State for Housing and Planning, Labour TD Jan O’Sullivan says that Rebuilding Ireland is not fit for purpose and she is calling on the Government to admit its housing policy is failing.

The proposed carbon tax increase is in jeopardy as Fianna Fáil has warned it will not support any carbon tax increases in the budget unless the money raised is reinvested in affected communities and measures to help the poorest.  In other environmental news Congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez gave an impassioned speech during a committee hearing in response to Republicans push-back on her climate change policy, the Green New Deal. You an watch her response here.

Our zen today is courtesy of the movie 'Us', (well worth a watch), and the subsequent earworm that has been stuck in my head for days. 

Have a good day folks.