Fórsa members employed at the State's Child and Family agency Tusla are set to begin their industrial action today. It will take the form of a work-to-rule and will see staff in certain grades refusing to carry out the work of other colleagues in their absence, refusing to undertake work in respect of any vacant post, or work associated with the Tusla reform programme.

Around four in five businesses are planning on increasing pay for employees in 2024, with an average pay rise of 3.8%. This is according to the latest Pay and HR Update, an annual survey of around 400 firms conducted by business group, Ibec.

Meanwhile, the Taoiseach has said Ireland has no plans to expel Israel's ambassador. Leo Varadkar was responding to a call from opposition party People Before Profit (PBP) in the Dáil following remarks by Israel's ambassador to Ireland Dana Erlich. 

And women in Iceland went on a 24-hour strike over gender inequality, including the prime minister, who said the fight for equal treatment was moving far too slowly at home and abroad. Across the small island nation, schools and libraries were either closed or operated on limited hours as female staff stayed home, while hospitals said they would only handle emergency cases.

The strike was called to protest against gaps in pay when compared to men and against gender-based violence, and to highlight the unpaid work such as such as child care that most often falls on women, organisers said. Yesterday's strike, under the slogan "Do you call this equality?", was the first full-day strike since an inaugural women's protest in 1975.