The Examiner reports that firefighters in Dublin may consider strike action following delays in receiving their Covid-19 vaccinations. The vaccination programme for firefighters began last month and was scheduled to take place for three days a week for three weeks. However, just 240 members of the service were vaccinated due to supplies of vaccines being low.

Elsewhere, The Indo reports that the deteriorating Covid situation has forced the Government to revise its budgeting for 2021 and dip into €5.4bn in contingency funding set aside for an adverse scenario this year.

Government is set to support a Bill for the provision of free period products by the State – however, it is facing charges that its planned approach does not go far enough according to The Times. 

RTÉ reports on union concern over the Irish Water integrations plans, amid fears that local authority staff would lose their public service status, job security, terms and conditions, and that the utility might ultimately be privatised. 

All regulatory animal-based food checks have been suspended at Belfast and Larne ports after council staff at Larne Port were withdrawn from inspection duties amid concerns for their safety and welfare. The council said the decision was made following an "upsurge in sinister and menacing behaviour in recent weeks".

More than half of the students who sat last year's deferred Leaving Certificate exams will get good news of improved grades when they receive their results later today according to RTÉ.

The Indo reports that ISME has started a crowdfunding campaign to finance a High Court legal challenge to what it calls "tax discrimination against private sector workers". If successful, the case would more than double the amount ISME members could put into their pensions and allow them to accumulate funds far in excess of the current €2m limit.

And finally European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has expressed regret over the use of the politically sensitive article 16 clause of the Northern Ireland protocol in an initial version of a European Union regulation, after it provoked a political outcry across Ireland and the United Kingdom.

The Specials bring us our Zen this morning with 'Too Much Too Young', which is 41 years old this year. 

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