Ireland’s supply of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine could be halved after last night’s meeting of the EU Commission and AstraZeneca failed to resolve a dispute over delivery dates. The pharmaceutical company insists it cannot deliver an agreed shipment of vaccines for February and March.

Nearly half of childcare workers are actively seeking another job due to low pay levels in the sector, according to Siptu. The union's annual Early Years Professionals' survey reveals that 90% of respondents were struggling to make ends meet due to "poverty pay", and 93% would leave the sector within five years if conditions did not improve.

Meanwhile, the Remote Working Strategy, which makes remote working a permanent option, will help alleviate the female 'brain drain' from the workplace, an employment expert has said. The Government plans to lead by example, by mandating that home and remote working be the norm for 20% of public-sector employees. 

Talks are to continue in the coming days between the Government and public health specialists to resolve a dispute and threatened strike over pay and contracts. The public health specialists, who are represented by the IMO, deferred a series of scheduled work stoppages earlier this month due to the surge in Covid-19 cases. However, they said they would review their position at the end of January.

Elsewhere, ICTU has called on Minister Eamon Ryan to initiate an urgent review of national energy policy and to guarantee the continued operation of Edenderry Power Station, amid fears that a shortage of peat fuel could jeopardise the plant’s generation capacity and undermine Ireland’s energy security.

Today goes out to our very own Martina, as it's data protection day. This January 28th marks 40 years since Convention 108 was open for signature, which was the first legally binding international instrument in the data protection field, requiring parties to ensure respect in their territory for the fundamental human rights of all individuals with regard to the processing of personal data.

And finally, today's Zen is Meatloaf's 1977 Paradise by the Dashboard Light, for no other reason than it came on my Spotify radio recently and I was reminded what a great tune it is.