The upcoming industrial action due to take place in Enable Ireland, in Cork and Kerry, on Friday 23rd September is covered here and here. This follows a series of one-day strike actions in community and voluntary sector agencies in Galway, Mayo, Cork and Donegal on Wednesday 21st and Thursday 22nd September, as part of the ICTU-led Valuing Care, Valuing Community campaign. 

The International Labour Organisation estimates that 50 million people - or one out of every 150 people alive - are trapped in forced labour or forced marriages. That is up nearly 10 million on its numbers from five years ago. Read more on that here.

Nine European Union coastal states signed a “historic” declaration in Dublin yesterday that commits them to create enough renewable wind energy to supply 10 per cent of the Union’s needs by 2050.

The Minister for Public Expenditure Michael McGrath has said that the State has a role to play in remedying home effected by construction defects but the construction industry will also have to “step up to the mark”. The comments came following news that repairing homes affected by Celtic Tiger-era building defects such as a lack of fire safety material, structural defects and water ingress could cost the State up to €2.8 billion.

Elsewhere in construction, ongoing supply chain issues and rising inflation, coupled with a record interest rate increase by the European Central Bank last week, poses a “monumental challenge” to meeting annual housing targets, according to Cork construction bosses.

And finally, The Times has a breakdown of what is likely in this year’s Budget. Check that our here.

Zen

Paul McCartney and The Beatles bring us zen this morning. 'Yesterday' was release 57 years ago today.

Have a good day folks.