Emergency legislation to protect Ireland in the event of a no-deal Brexit last night completed its passage through the Oireachtas. It will now go to President Michael D. Higgins for his signature.

A number of representative bodies and businesses have criticised the proposed tariffs arrangement announced by the UK Government yesterday relating to goods moving from the Republic into Northern Ireland. Speaking on the issue, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) general secretary Patricia King said “We now know the true meaning of the British government’s mantra of ‘Brexit means Brexit’ and that the temporary tariff proposals pose a risk to tens of thousands of jobs in agri-food in particular.”

Social Democrat TD Róisín Shortall has criticised an action plan launched yesterday, which outlines “key milestones” for implementation of Sláintecare in 2019. Ms Shortall, who chaired the committee that produced the Sláintecare report, said the Government is not committed to delivering a universal public health service.

The Irish Times reports more accommodation for homeless families and greater supports for older homeless people are planned as homelessness is projected to keep increasing in Dublin for at least another three years. It says an unpublished action plan on homelessness warns of inadequate provision of social and affordable housing to address the worsening housing emergency.

The Guardian featured a piece on the four-day working week yesterday, as part of its 'The Upside' series. The segment features slightly longer articles that address, as they put it, "possible solutions to some of the world’s most stubborn problems."

The above photo shows the installation of a cardboard sculpture of Atlas in London, commissioned by the sustainable packaging initiative Beyond The Box.

Finally, today's zen comes courtesy of it being International Pi Day. The number, which is crucial to mathematical formula involving circles, may have changed your life more than you know, and you can read about that here.

Have a good day.