Talks on pay restoration for workers in Section 39 organisations have been adjourned until October 2nd. Sources indicated to RTÉ that one possibility raised was workers would be awarded a 1% increase from January 2019, backdated to 1st October 2018. Planned strike action by more than 5,000 workers was deferred after the Government signaled last week it would table new proposals on pay.

Gardaí and emergency services are trying to access a caravan that was blown off a cliff by strong winds near Cliffden in Galway as Storm Ali sweeps the country. 55,000 homes and businesses without power as well as dozens of flights cancelled. Also, the opening of the second day of the National Ploughing Championships in Tullamore will be delayed for two hours this morning until 11am as storm conditions have resulted in a serious risk to public safety on site.

More than 1,200 people are now homeless across rural Ireland - a 30% increase since the beginning of the year according to The Peter McVerry Trust. This news comes as opposition parties such as Sinn Féin and the Social Democrats call for a rent freeze for up to three years. However, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has rejected such a move stating it could have unintended consequences. 

Apple has deposited €14.3bn into an escrow fund, representing the completion of the full recovery of alleged State aid. Meanwhile, Irish designer Orla Kiely, famous for the use of her trademark prints on handbags and household merchandise, has announced the closure of her retail and online business.

Congress have issued a statement on the Government's new parental leave scheme, (covered in yesterday's digest) saying it's progressive but falls short of needs of working families and their children. 

And An Garda Síochána is set to undergo radical reform up to 2022 after an ambitious programme to radically reform and modernise the force and its oversight bodies was set out by the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland.

Finally, the beloved Mary Poppins is back just in time for Christmas with Mary Poppins returns set to hit our screens on December 19th. She's here to help the next generation of Banks children find joy again following a personal loss - nothing a spoon full of sugar can't fix, I'm sure! Starring Emily Blunt and Lin Manuel Miranda, (the creator of hit musical, Hamilton) as well as a host of other celebrities clearly bitten by the song bug. It's like a Mamma Mia reunion with Meryl Streep, Colin Firth and Julie Walters all featuring! Catch the trailer below.