Soaring energy prices will continue to fuel cost-of-living increases in the coming months, even though inflation dropped back to 5% last month. The Indo's Charlie Weston breaks down some of those price hikes.

But most titles lead on Storm Eunice and the recommendation that face masks should no longer be mandatory in schools, public offices and public transport – a change that won't apply in health settings. The Examiner carries this union reaction, which leads with Fórsa's response.

What's more, RTÉ says NPHET is also bidding farewell to school pods, and it's widely reported that the advisory team itself is to be stood down.  

The Times opinion pages carry a rare critique of Sláintecare from the former master of the Rotunda (who's promoting a book) while its business section has Olive Keogh's report on what job-seekers expect from the recruitment process in today's sellers' market.

Global news remains dominated by the Ukraine crisis, though politics-watchers will also have noticed the legal net tighten on the Trump Organisation. Meanwhile, the indignities keep piling on Prince Andrew after he agreed to pay heaps of cash to someone he doesn't know for something he didn't do.

Today's Zen marks the passing of Saxophonist Ian McDonald, who I'd never heard of before I came across his obituary last weekend. Among other things, he saxed-up T.Rex's Get It One, one of my eight-plus desert island discs. Pure Zen.

That's it for this week.

Bernard