The Cabinet has cleared the way for major new laws which, the Government say, will radically change policing in Ireland including the management of national security threats and a rebranding of the garda complaints mechanism.

The Dublin Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA) has issued a call for additional volunteers amid a “concerning surge” in surrendered dogs, pet rabbits and other small animals.

The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (Ifac) has warned Ireland’s rapid economic recovery from Covid has stalled in the face of rising prices and cost-of-living pressures. In its latest fiscal assessment, the budgetary watchdog said the rising cost of living had weakened real incomes and that would lead to flatter consumption patterns in the coming quarters.

Later today, 67,130 Irish students will find out how they got on in their Junior Certificate exams. The results come six months after students sat the Junior Cert examinations. 

Separately, teacher unions have united in condemnation of the government's failed housing policy which they say is causing staff shortages and putting children's education 'at risk'. Bodies representing 110,000 teachers have called on their members to support Saturday's Raise the Roof rally in Dublin. You can read the full statement here. 

The Mandate Trade Union has called on members of the public to respect retail workers during the busy Christmas shopping season. The call coincides with an international day of action which seeks to raise awareness about the importance of combating violence and harassment across the retail sector.

And in football, Lionel Messi’s Argentina grabbed all the headlines for the wrong reasons after a shock 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia in the World Cup, but arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo is also making the news.  It comes after Manchester United announced Ronaldo’s exit from the club, eight days after the first revelations were published from his explosive interview with Piers Morgan.

Zen

Grafton street turned into an impromptu gig venue last evening as Dermot Kennedy surprised fans with a pop-up event at Bewley’s coffee shop in his native Dublin.