Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife Olena Zelenska at Dublin Airport on December 1st. AirNav, which runs air traffic control in the Republic, including flights in and out of Dublin Airport, has confirmed to The Irish Times it was not informed of the drone activity on the night of Monday, December 1st. “AirNav Ireland received no reports of drone activity during the visit of President Zelenskiy to Ireland,” the agency said in response to queries about whether the pilots of incoming planes were warned of the drone activity. The package will also include a sonobuoy project; sonobuoys are dropped from ships or aircraft to detect submarines or other underwater activity, including threats to subsea cables. There is also a €400 million commitment to “investment in Defence Forces infrastructure, including accommodation, offices, gyms, aircraft hangars and naval berthage”.

A private bus operator does provide a service from the town to the city centre but the times don’t align with their childcare drop-off. “You’re talking about 6am to 6pm door-to-door really and it’s the same for a lot of people, not just teachers,” says Balfe. “There have also been changes to the city centre traffic system, which has had an impact as well. The issue of traffic congestion, in particular delays on the M50, has been raised continuously by commuters, politicians and transport experts over recent months. “People are moving further away from Dublin city centre because they can’t afford to live here and that’s resulting in longer commutes,” he says.

Philip Smith, former chief executive of insurance company RSA Ireland, has been barred from holding a senior financial role for 13 years. The Central Bank of Ireland has barred former RSA Insurance Ireland chief executive Philip Smith from holding a senior financial role for 13 years but decided not to impose a fine, for fear that it could push him into bankruptcy. The regulator said that Mr Smith’s participation in regulatory breaches by RSA Ireland merited a financial penalty of €120,000. The Central Bank fined RSA Insurance Ireland €3.5 million in late 2018 for regulatory breaches relating to the accounting issues. RSA Insurance in Ireland rebranded in October to Intact Insurance as part of a rebranding of the wider RSA Insurance Group by its Canadian owners.

Gas Networks Ireland is redefining its employee experience as a strategic enabler of business performance, culture and long-term organisational resilience. The workplace experience strategy is a fundamental element of the overall corporate strategy, she adds. “Some elements of the employee experience can seem less tangible at first glance, but they drive measurable outcomes including engagement, productivity, retention and culture. It’s about identifying and upskilling the people to take on the roles, to ensure we fill knowledge and experience gaps.”Employee feedback is central to the workplace experience strategy. We act on the insights gained to ensure we are delivering a world-class employee experience, so that our people can deliver for Ireland.”

Photograph: Bryan O'BrienBus company Go-Ahead Ireland plans to recruit 400 workers after winning a contract for 65 bus routes around Dublin. Now Go-Ahead Ireland is seeking 400 drivers, mechanics, apprentices and other workers to staff the new services, the company said on Thursday. It will add the other 40 as the state agency proceeds with phases eight to 11 of the BusConnects network, which is meant to streamline public transport. Dervla McKay, managing director, Go-Ahead Ireland, said the business had progressed steadily since its launch. “Investment in our public transport services and the commitment of operators such as Go-Ahead Ireland go hand in hand in furthering the development of sustainable public transport that benefits communities,” he said.

Risks to personal safety have prompted calls to allow politicians, social media performers and others to obscure details of where they live from the public. A Company Law Review Group (CLRG) recommendation that the law change to “preclude the default public availability” of directors’ usual residential addresses on the Republic’s Register of Companies, sparked the department’s move. Listen | 41:32Directors can get exemptions from this if they face risks to personal safety or security. Publication of directors’ personal addresses also raised “potential issues” under the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which is part of Irish law, the society said. It said continuing to disclose the addresses of directors who have faced threats or other risks posed a significant risk to their safety.

Photograph: Aidan Crawley/BloombergA sudden slowdown in demand for Irish exports linked to changes in United States trade policy or a global recession would have a “severe impact” on the economy here, the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) has warned. Household disposable income and consumption would also take a hit with the ESRI projecting these to be 6.7 per cent and 6.2 per cent lower respectively than they might have been. The ESRI report examined how changes in the global economic environment and domestic policies might affect Ireland’s economic trajectory. [ Irish economy contracts by 0.3% as multinational export surge unwindsOpens in new window ]The last time the ESRI published a medium-term economic outlook report was in 2016. The effect on the economy as a whole is less than the other two scenarios with national income being 1.5 per cent lower by 2030.

Carton House, a Fairmont Managed Hotel have a host of festive breaks available, from relaxing pre-Christmas stays to “Betwixtmas” breaks to rest and recharge between Christmas and New Years. Located in the beautiful Gold Salon, Carton House Fairmont has sprinkled a little Christmas magic over their Iconic Afternoon Tea, transforming it into a truly festive experience. You will also be welcomed with a special Christmas gift in your room on arrival. Wake up on Christmas morning, put on your favourite Christmas outfit and make your way to a spectacular Christmas morning breakfast buffet. Enjoy a morning swim in the wellness suite, a stroll or cycle on the 1,100 estate and work up an appetite for your lunch - a magnificent Christmas Day feast.

Days before Donald Trump’s return to the White House in early 2025, Andrew Tate got some good news. Andrew Tate was also accused of rape and of having sex with and beating a 15-year-old. Prosecutors later charged them with forming an organised criminal group and trafficking seven women, and charged Andrew Tate with rape. Andrew Tate speaks to reporters after he, and his brother Tristan Tate, arrived in Florida last February. Andrew Tate was also accused of having sex with a 15-year-old and trying to bribe her to stay quiet.

Speaking on Prime Time on Thursday, Dr Paul Moran said about 2,500 people are on the waiting list. “Unfortunately we’re forced to do this because after six years of trying to get resources and to meet demands, we have come to a dead end,” Dr Moran said. This, he said, has not yet transpired due to the fact that project development with the Health Service Executive (HSE) has broken down “time and time again”. However, Dr Moran told Prime Time’s Miriam O’Callaghan that the NGS remains “optimistic that a solution will be found”. Asked about the impact of the closure of waiting lists on those seeking care, Dr Moran said it would “be upsetting for them” and “cause worry and stress”.

It is important to note that the gender pay gap figures do not suggest employees being paid more for doing the same work as a colleague of a different gender; that would be illegal. Generally, the proportion of women equity partners across the sector is put at about 37 per cent. From what is revealed in the gender pay gap reports, the rate of change is both slow and uneven. At Mason Hayes & Curran, the report puts the figure for women solicitors at 60 per cent and the proportion of partners at 43 per cent. [ Government gender pay gap portal to fall short of promises made on International Women’s DayOpens in new window ]Similarly, the more general pay gap figures, for all employed staff, suggest a lack of consistent progress.

Jessika Roswall, left, and Martin Heydon, right, visit Pat Durkin and daughter Kayleigh’s dairy farm in Co Kildare. Jessika Roswall, European commissioner for the environment and water quality, had to be convinced Ireland deserved to retain the derogation. The nitrates derogation gives about 7,000 Irish dairy farmers leeway on European Union laws that protect waterways and rivers from agricultural pollution and excess runoff. [ What is the nitrates derogation and how does it impact Irish farmers? ] Discussions between Irish and EU officials became tense as they inched closer to a deal in recent weeks.

The Trump administration’s National Security Strategy is a handbook of subversion directed against liberal internationalism – and especially against the European Union. This security strategy is brutally direct and succinct about US foreign policy priorities. Hence the security strategy should be taken seriously as a guide to US actions. These themes of white nativist racism are sanctioned as US foreign policy towards Nato allies, reversing 80 years of transatlantic cooperation. Accompanied by explicit commitments to support far-right parties in the largest European states, it is a powerful wake-up call to European leaders to say Trump’s hostility is serious.

Focus Ireland said its latest report highlighted the scale and persistence of the homelessness crisis in Dublin. Photograph: Nick BradshawDublin accounts for more than two-thirds of all homelessness in Ireland, a new report from Focus Ireland says. Focus Ireland said the report highlights the scale and persistence of the crisis in Dublin, with families and children experiencing the sharpest increases and local authority expenditure reaching unprecedented levels. Adult-only households in emergency accommodation in Dublin increased 61 per cent since 2021 and 306 per cent since 2014. “Behind every percentage increase are children growing up in emergency accommodation, often for extended periods,” he said.

Front page of The Northern Standard, which covers Monaghan, Cavan, Armagh, Louth and Fermanagh, published after the presidential election in October. Photograph: Enda O'DowdThe closure of The Northern Standard in Co Monaghan will leave a “void” in the community it has served for 186 years, the newspaper’s editor said. Founded by Arthur Wellington Holmes, the first issue of The Northern Standard – a copy of which resides in the National Museum of London – was published on January 10th, 1839. “Peggy White was among the victims and one of my neighbours in the housing estate where I grew up – a beloved woman,” said Mr Hughes. “We were always a broadsheet newspaper and we will end a broadsheet newspaper – and a community newspaper,” Mr Hughes said.