The week begins
by Niall Shanahan

The Indo reports this morning that Fianna Fáil will demand a timeline for pay rises worth up to €200m for more than 60,000 recent recruits to the public service during upcoming Budget negotiations. Elsewhere it's reported that the party's finance spokesperson has called for tax cuts in Budget 2019.

 

The Indo report states "Talks between senior union negotiators Shay Cody and Tom Geraghty and Government officials on the new entrants' lower rates are set to start this week."

 

On Friday Ryanair announced its decision not to move aircraft to Poland, as it had threatened to do during the recent pilots dispute, putting pilots and cabin crew on protective notice. The same news reported in the Indo led with a threatened strike by cabin crew across Europe.

 

This morning's front pages include security arrangements for Trump, triumph for Cork camogie, a controversial conclusion to the US Tennis Open and more Boris Brexit bull.

 

In Sweden, the rough beast of the far right continues to slouch forward.

 

With Yeats's poem called to mind, and currently prompting fresh analysis in these anxious times, I came across this version recited by poet Ted Hughes. This morning's Zen:

 

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