The housing crisis has tormented governments for years now, and will likely continue to torment governments into the future. Also on Friday, a report from Sherry FitzGerald praised a number of moves made by the Government. “At this point in time, there is much reason for optimism regarding a meaningful increase in housing output over the medium-term,” Sherry FitzGerald said. Just this week, data from banking lobby group Banking & Payments Federation Ireland showed there were just over 16,000 housing commencements during 2025, down from more than 69,300 in 2024. If you listen to Glenveagh and Sherry FitzGerald, it seems it has finally got the policies in place to spur new construction.

Thursday is the busiest day on the M50, with peak traffic times between 7am and 9am and 4pm and 6pm. “When public transport offerings increase and they become a choice for people, they will take it,” he says. “I’ve asked State agencies to work with us in identifying practical, deliverable solutions to tackle traffic congestion in Dublin,” he says. The Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) says the situation on the M50 is “getting worse on a monthly basis”. “We’ve known what 100 years of building roads and motorways and underinvesting in public transport has done in Ireland.

Farmers demonstrate against the EU-Mercosur trade deal, but will they turn out in the same numbers to oppose the pact with Australia? Photograph: Gareth Chaney/Getty ImagesThe Government expects the European Union to conclude a big trade deal with Australia in the coming weeks, which will open the European market to significant amounts of agricultural products. Dublin will endorse the agreement, it is expected, but the new agreement will alarm farmers, who recently fought a campaign against the Mercosur trade deal with South American countries. Thousands of farmers from across Ireland turned out to protest the EU-Mercosur trade deal in Athlone. According to one source, having opposed the Mercosur deal, the State could not seek to block another trade agreement “and still claim to be a pro-free trade country”.

The GNI submission was sent to the Department of Defence for consideration as part of the drafting of the Government’s national maritime security strategy, which was launched by Minister for Defence Helen McEntee in late February. “The threat to Ireland’s subsea gas interconnector is very much a realistic possibility”, it said. GNI also said it was important that steps to mitigate risks to gas supply were taken. [ Proposed law would enable Minister to decide on process relating to State gas reserve ]It said last year the Government had announced the development of a strategic gas emergency reserve, earmarked for the Shannon estuary. “Projects such as these are critical to mitigating risk, and ultimately ensuring Ireland’s energy and economic security and, as such, their timely delivery should be seen as a key component of Government policy in the wider context of national maritime security.”

Irish speakers who used the site formerly known as Twitter will be familiar with the word “tvuíteáil” for “tweeting”, for example. Irish is not alone when it comes to adopting words from other languages. As is the case with other languages, words emerge in Irish that describe new concepts as the language evolves. pre-drinks / réamhdeochannaSampla: réamhdeochanna san árasán / pre-drinks in the apartmentneurodivergent / néara-éagsúilSampla: duine néara-éagsúil / a neurodivergent persontechnology / teicneolaíochtIrish words for modern life: doomscrolling / gruamscrolláil. drone delivery / seachadadh le drónSampla: is féidir le siopaí earraí a sheachadadh le drón / shops can send products by droneIrish words for modern life: scam call/glao scamála.

The society requested a meeting with the Department of Justice in the wake of its review of the criminal legal aid fee structure. In its statement, the society said criminal legal aid was “a cornerstone of the justice system, serving as a vital mechanism to uphold the constitutional right to legal representation”. “Introducing one flat fee in criminal legal aid imposes an indeterminate amount of work while cutting the fees provided,” the society said. It represents a “unilateral cut” to criminal legal aid and would “break the commitment” in the current programme for Government to “fully restore criminal legal aid”, cut in 2009 under emergency legislation. “The Government recognises the crucial role played by the legal professions in the effective administration of criminal justice, and equally that Criminal Legal Aid is fundamental to upholding the constitutional and human right to a legal defence,” he said.

The same adaptable species appear again and again, while many of the more specialised ones quietly disappear. One of the most influential studies, led by ecologist Michael McKinney, showed that human activity is reshuffling biodiversity globally, allowing a relatively small group of adaptable species to spread widely, while more specialised species decline. In a landmark synthesis published in Biological Conservation, McKinney and colleagues argued that the spread of common species, combined with the loss of rare species, is making ecological communities increasingly similar worldwide. Adaptable species expand their ranges, while specialised species decline or vanish locally. Even relatively small actions, such as maintaining hedgerows, and restoring bogs and native plant communities can provide refuge for specialised species.

Primarily based on Clare Island, she commanded a fleet of ships and a small army. Follow in her footstepsIf you would like to follow in the footsteps of Mayo’s warrior queen, Clare Island is reached by ferry from Roonagh Quay. Clouds roll in over Knockmore Mountain on Clare Island, one of the more challenging sections of the trail. Note: Clare Island Abbey was open daily during the summer. Ferries to Clare Island primarily depart from Roonagh Pier, near Louisburg.

“Some people thought I was talking about a model airplane,” David told the Irish Examiner. David is a member of the FunFly Aerosports Flying Club and was inspired to take up flying by his grandmother Elizabeth. I used to book myself in for a flying lesson on the Sunday morning to keep me out of the pub on Saturday night. Having the support of everyone at FunFly Aerosports Flying Club was great because there is always someone to lean on for support. Mark Brereton, accounts manager at the FunFly Aerosports flying club in Offaly, painting, sanding, and assembling a Savannah kit plane.

URC: Edinburgh 19 Ulster 40Ulster climbed to third in the URC table after producing a stunning second-half effort to score 26 unanswered points for a rare and highly-valuable away win. With Ward already in the bin, Edinburgh scored after five minutes through Ross Thompson, who then converted for an early lead. A third try for Edinburgh came 10 minutes later when a superb attack resulted in Wes Goosen surging through. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/InphoOn 34 minutes, Ulster broke out of their 22 through Bryn Ward, with the impressive Juarno Augustus eventually crossing the line. ULSTER: M Lowry; W Kok, J Hume, J Postlethwaite, Z Ward; J Murphy, D Shanahan; A Bell, R Herring, T McAllister; H Sheridan, C Irvine; C Izuchukwu, B Ward, J Augustus.

And it gives more time for fun, which is central to the lives of these young women and others like them. On the contrary, Daddy is left oblivious to almost everything, except big questions such as likely All-Ireland winners or the chances of the local team in the county championship. And to the reverberating sound of the local support singing ‘say hello to QPR’. At the end of the game, the Spurs players came over, having lost, and applauded their fans support. And then I waited and watched the Spurs players troop off the pitch, their heads bowed and their eyes vacant, trying to make sense of another loss.

George Russell sees off Lewis Hamilton to win Chinese Grand Prix sprint raceBy Philip Duncan, Press Association F1 Correspondent, ShanghaiGeorge Russell overcame Lewis Hamilton’s challenge to win the battle of the Britons and take a thrilling sprint race victory at the Chinese Grand Prix. Hamilton had to settle for third as Russell – a winner in Australia six days ago – took the chequered flag 0.6 seconds clear of Charles Leclerlc. In the end, it was relatively straightforward for Russell, but that had not been the case from the start. On to lap six, and Russell tried his luck at the first corner but Hamilton held firm. So when the safety car came in at the end of lap 16, Russell led from Leclerc, Norris and Hamilton.

The man may apply after 10 years to be restored to the Teaching Council's register, a fitness-to-teach panel ruled on Friday. Photograph: Alan BetsonA man who demonstrated “wholesale dishonesty” when he falsely represented his qualifications and registration status on more than 20 applications for teaching jobs has been removed from the Teaching Council’s register. The man may apply after 10 years from the date of removal to be restored to the register, a fitness-to-teach panel ruled on Friday. He falsely represented on 22 of the applications that he had full, as opposed to conditional, registration with the council. The registrant falsely represented on 15 applications that he had a qualification for teaching science, English, physical education and/or Irish.

‌Less than a week ago, the US President declared the war in Iran was "already won" - dismissing reports the UK was preparing the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales to deploy to the region. ‌“The United Kingdom, our once Great Ally, maybe the Greatest of them all, is finally giving serious thought to sending two aircraft carriers to the Middle East,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social website. ‌“That’s OK, Prime Minister Starmer, we don’t need them any longer — But we will remember. "In the meantime, the United States will be bombing the hell out of the shoreline, and continually shooting Iranian Boats and Ships out of the water. One way or the other, we will soon get the Hormuz Strait OPEN, SAFE, and FREE!"

While some may consider it rude to talk about money, Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen has very candidly opened up about his finances. Laurence revealed that his formerly lavish lifestyle with 'first class trips to Barbados' and out of control spending were 'long gone' after getting to grips with his shopping addiction during lockdown. So basically, I’ve got to die at 81 or else I’m going to be in total Jane Austen penury. Laurence then joked that his wife Jackie said he was in a 'mid-life crisis' when he told her he was appearing in the show. 'I think everyone thought we would live fast and die young rather than live very, very slowly and die really quite old.'