Ryanair increases personal bag size while opposing EU free carry-on proposals

Ryanair increases personal bag size while opposing EU free carry-on proposals

Ryanair has increased its free personal baggage allowance from today, expanding dimensions from 40x25x20cm to 40x30x20cm, while simultaneously resisting European Union proposals for mandatory free carry-on luggage. The Irish budget airline completed its Europe-wide rollout of larger bag sizers, increasing free baggage volume from 20 to 24 litres – enough space for “a few more … Read more

Irish prisons operating at breaking point as overcrowding reaches crisis levels

Irish prisons operating at breaking point as overcrowding reaches crisis levels

Ireland’s prison system is operating “far beyond its limits” with overcrowding reaching unprecedented levels, the Irish Prison Service director general has warned in a stark assessment of the crisis facing the country’s correctional facilities. Caron McCaffrey revealed that prisoner numbers have surged to 5,581 as of August 13th – representing 120% of maximum capacity – … Read more

Government launches ambitious five-year strategy to transform disability rights in Ireland

Government launches ambitious five-year strategy to transform disability rights in Ireland

Ireland has unveiled a comprehensive National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People, promising significant reforms across education, employment, and healthcare services to improve accessibility for the country’s 1.1 million disabled citizens. Taoiseach Micheál Martin launched the landmark strategy at Dublin’s Mansion House, describing it as “a landmark moment for the advancement of disability rights in … Read more

Irish workers earn more than non-nationals as pay varies widely by country

Irish workers earn more than non-nationals as pay varies widely by country

Irish nationals working in Ireland earn significantly more each week than their non-national colleagues, with substantial pay gaps emerging across different nationalities, according to new Central Statistics Office data. Irish workers recorded median weekly earnings of €762.72 compared to €672.76 for non-nationals, though the figures reveal striking variations among different countries of origin. Indian nationals … Read more

Free public transport extended to nearly 250,000 children under nine

Free public transport extended to nearly 250,000 children under nine

Ireland is expanding free public transport access to all children under nine years old from Wednesday, extending the benefit to an additional 236,000 youngsters aged five to eight. The initiative fulfills a commitment made in last year’s budget and means children can now travel free across all Transport for Ireland services using a TFI child … Read more

Ireland's first satellite successfully completes historic space mission

Ireland’s first satellite successfully completes historic space mission

Ireland’s inaugural satellite, designed and built entirely by University College Dublin students, has successfully completed its groundbreaking Earth-orbiting mission and will de-orbit within days. EIRSAT-1, a shoebox-sized CubeSat launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from California’s Vandenberg Air Force Base in December 2023, achieved all its scientific objectives during its operational period. The satellite’s … Read more

Ireland records fourth warmest August amid ongoing climate trends

Ireland records fourth warmest August amid ongoing climate trends

August 2025 marked Ireland’s fourth warmest August on record, with an average temperature of 16.83°C, according to Met Éireann. It was also the ninth warmest month overall in 126 years of recorded data, continuing a six-month streak of unusually high temperatures. The highest temperature of the month was 28°C, recorded on Tuesday, August 12th. Sunshine … Read more

Dublin set for 300 bike bunkers after decade-long wait since first trial

Dublin set for 300 bike bunkers after decade-long wait since first trial

Dublin City Council has finally contracted a company to deliver 300 secure bike storage bunkers across the city, a decade after first piloting the scheme in 2015. Bleeper Bikes, the dockless bike-sharing company operating in Dublin since 2017, will provide and maintain the new facilities under a contract potentially worth €10 million excluding VAT. The … Read more

Dublin council to check homes without bin contracts in illegal dumping crackdown

Dublin council to check homes without bin contracts in illegal dumping crackdown

Dublin City Council is launching a new enforcement programme targeting households without waste collection contracts in areas plagued by illegal dumping, as part of efforts to tackle what officials describe as a serious littering crisis. The initiative will begin with a pilot phase in Dublin’s North Inner City, which has been named Ireland’s most littered … Read more

Food prices jump 5% as Irish inflation reaches 1.8% annual rate

Food prices jump 5% as Irish inflation reaches 1.8% annual rate

Irish consumers are grappling with significant food price increases, with costs rising 5% over the past year while overall inflation climbed to 1.8%, according to new figures from the Central Statistics Office. The latest flash estimate from the EU Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices reveals food costs alone surged 0.4% between July and August, contributing … Read more

Health insurance premiums surge as Sláintecare reforms reshape medical system

Health insurance premiums surge as Sláintecare reforms reshape medical system

Irish health insurance customers are facing steep premium increases linked to ongoing Sláintecare reforms, with some paying up to €700 more annually as the healthcare landscape undergoes significant transformation. Major insurers VHI, Laya and Irish Life have all announced their second round of premium hikes this year, citing increased costs as more medical consultants move … Read more

Irish health officials seek public input on future screening services

Irish health officials seek public input on future screening services

The National Screening Advisory Committee is calling on the public to help shape Ireland’s health screening programmes, with submissions accepted until September 12th. The annual consultation invites contributions from both members of the public and healthcare professionals to inform the committee’s recommendations to the Minister for Health on new screening programmes or changes to existing … Read more

Fire-damaged Dublin bridge forces Luas red line closure until November

Fire-damaged Dublin bridge forces Luas red line closure until November

Dublin commuters face months of disruption as the Luas Red Line remains suspended between Connolly and The Point stations until the end of November, following fire damage to the Georges Dock bridge. An engineering assessment has determined the bridge is structurally compromised and must be demolished, prompting Transport Infrastructure Ireland to implement extensive replacement services … Read more

Over 5,000 children now homeless in Ireland as crisis reaches new peak

Over 5,000 children now homeless in Ireland as crisis reaches new peak

More than 5,000 children are now experiencing homelessness in Ireland for the first time, as latest figures reveal a total of 16,058 people living in emergency accommodation at the end of July. The Department of Housing’s monthly update shows 5,014 children and 2,343 families were homeless, marking the seventh consecutive month of increases this year … Read more

Unsettled weather to continue through weekend with heavy showers and thunderstorms

Met Éireann is forecasting continued unsettled conditions over the weekend and into next week, with persistent rain, heavy showers, and cooler temperatures expected across Ireland. Saturday will bring wet and blustery conditions as rain spreads northeastwards across the country, potentially turning heavy or thundery with localised flooding possible. The rain will gradually clear to showers … Read more