Drivers in Ireland under 75 no longer need medical report for driving license

Minister for State at the Department of Transport, Hildegarde Naughton TD has announced that from Monday 21 February 2022, the age at which an applicant for a driving licence must supply a medical report will increase from 70 to 75. Drivers under 75 will no longer have to supply a medical report confirming their fitness … Read more

CSO’s Labour Force Survey shows record level of employment in Ireland

Labour Force Survey (LFS) data published on 17 February, by the Central Statistics Office show a continued recovery from the pandemic in Ireland’s labour market, with 224,800 jobs created in the last three months of 2021. There was an increase in employment of 17,500 in the fourth quarter. Employment now stands at 2.48 million, an … Read more

More than 55,000 without power as Storm Eunice hits

More than 55,000 homes and businesses are without power this morning due to Storm Eunice, as parts of the country manage the fallout of the bad weather event. Power cuts – which are affecting 55,000 ESB customers – are most widespread in Kerry and Cork while Clare, Limerick, Offaly, Waterford, Carlow, Donegal, Wexford, Galway, Mayo, and Roscommon … Read more

Health Minister Donnelly approves ambitious proposals to alleviate paediatric orthopaedic waiting times

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has approved ambitious plans from Children’s Health Ireland and Cappagh Orthopaedic Hospital to reduce waiting times for children and adolescents awaiting paediatric orthopaedic surgery for conditions such as Spina Bifida and Scoliosis. The plan includes specific ringfenced funding for Cappagh Kids. Following a request from the Minister in January, the … Read more

Household and transport costs drive 5% annual increase in consumer prices: CSO report

According to the Central Statistics Office (CSO) report, Irish consumer prices were on average 5% higher in January than they were a year previous, with transport and household energy costs driving the increases. The Consumer Price Index for January 2022, released today, displays eye-watering increases in the cost of fuels compared with the same time … Read more

Storm Eunice: Early learning and care (ELC) and school-age childcare (SAC) services to close in seven counties tomorrow

Due to the extreme nature of Storm Eunice and the threat of multi-hazard weather events as confirmed by Met Éireann, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth is advising that early learning and care (ELC) and school-age childcare (SAC) services in counties where Status Red wind warnings are in place and in counties … Read more

Department of Education advises schools to close in 7 counties tomorrow due to the extreme nature of Storm Eunice

The Department of Education has advised schools in seven counties to close on Friday due to Storm Eunice. The affected counties are Cork, Kerry, Donegal, Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim, and Roscommon. Due to the extreme nature of Storm Eunice and the threat of multi-hazard weather events as confirmed by Met Éireann, the Department of Education is … Read more

Covid-19: 9,441 new cases and 639 patients in hospital

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has today been notified of 5,035 PCR-confirmed cases of COVID-19. Additionally, 4,406 more positive antigen tests have been registered on the HSE website, bringing the day’s cases to a combined total of 9,441. There has been a total of 6,399 deaths related to COVID-19 notified in Ireland. This includes 108 deaths … Read more

Irish language film An Cailín Ciúin wins prestigious international award

Irish-language feature An Cailín Ciúin (The Quiet Girl) has taken two honors after its world premiere at the 72nd Berlin film festival. The film, written and directed by Colm Bairéad and based on the short story Foster by Claire Keegan, has won the grand prix of the Generation Kplus International Jury for best film and received a special … Read more

Old man jailed for claiming dead parents’ pensions for 33 years

A 59-year-old Cork man has been jailed for 3½ years for claiming pensions for his dead parents for 33 years and defrauding the State of more than €500,000. Donal (Don) O’Callaghan, of Churchfield Green, Churchfield, claimed the pensions of his parents Donald and Eileen from 1987 to 2020. His father died in 1987, eight years after his mother’s death … Read more

Covid-19: 9,881 new cases and 631 patients in hospital, 108 deaths notified in past week

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has today been notified of 5,268 PCR-confirmed cases of COVID-19. Additionally, 4,613 more positive antigen tests have been registered on the HSE website, bringing the day’s cases to a combined total of 9,881. There has been a total of 6,399 deaths related to COVID-19 notified in Ireland. This includes 108 deaths … Read more

Residential property prices rise 14.4%, highest level in six years – CSO

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (16 February 2022) published the Residential Property Price Index (RPPI) in December 2021. Residential property prices rose by 14.4% in the 12 months to December 2021, up slightly from 14% in November. In Dublin, residential property prices saw an increase of 13.1%, while property prices outside Dublin were … Read more

Minister McConalogue conclude first leg of trade mission in Dubai

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, T.D. concluded the first leg of an Irish Agrifood trade mission to the Gulf region, with a series of government and business engagements. The Minister met his UAE counterpart her excellency H.E. Mariam Al-Mheiri and signed a Memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the field … Read more