Nowhere are the stark choices facing the Government on housing clearer than in the rental market. All the while, lives are blighted by a lack of affordable rental properties and – for those lucky enough to get a lease – the difficulty of moving on to own a home due to the wider crisis in the housing market. A report by Threshold shows that, compared to Northern Ireland, renters in this State have higher incomes and many remain in rental properties for longer. The strategy also only works if there is a general rise in housing supply. This would help people move on from existing rental properties, thus freeing them up.

The river Slaney bursts its banks in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, during Storm Chandra. The river Slaney in Wexford and Dodder in South Dublin burst their banks, causing widespread flooding, while many locals in Co Wicklow reported damaging water entering their homes. Houses in Bunclody, Co Wexford have been flooded after the river Slaney burst its banks during Storm Chandra. Mr Martin said Dublin, Wicklow, Wexford and Cork were “significantly disrupted” but there were “flooding impacts across the country”. Up to 30 homes and in excess of 20 businesses in the town were left under several feet of water on Tuesday after the river Slaney burst its banks.

The Lord Mayor of Cork has admitted he is increasingly turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to write his speeches. Fergal Dennehy made the admission after giving a speech at a data centre firm in Cork City which was AI generated by the company itself. He also claimed other members in Cork City Council are also using apps like ChatGPT for their council business. Mr Dennehy had given a speech at the headquarters of cloud platform CloudCIX in Hollyhill on Tuesday. "Wherever the mayor goes, he will ask for input on a speech because he wants to be informed.”

A prolonged period of wet weather in the Irish capital, including an unexpected 60mm of rain on Monday, left Leopardstown unraceable on Tuesday. “We’re really happy with how the forfeits have gone today and how the racing is shaping up. The rematches we have in the Gold Cup, Champion Hurdle, Dublin Chase and even the Arkle – they are all mouthwatering. There is the prospect of some thrilling racing.”It will be Clayton’s first Dublin Racing Festival in the Leopardstown hot seat having previously overseen the the installation of floodlights and the switch from Fibresand to Tapeta during an 11-year tenure at Southwell prior to his relocation to Ireland. “We had seven entries from Britain initially, which was the highest we’d ever had for the Dublin Racing Festival.

Champions League knockout draw as it stands and who Premier League teams would facePremier League clubs are heading into the final matchday of the Champions League group phase and are waiting to discover their opponents for the knockout stages, with draw rules determining pairingsView 2 Images All 36 teams are in action in the Champions League on Wednesday night and looking to qualify for the knockout stages. The Champions League league phase table is finely balanced ahead of a potentially chaotic night of action on Wednesday. All 36 teams now have a single fixture left as they seek to secure their places in the knockout rounds. Six-time champions Liverpool could be matched against either Man City or Tottenham in the quarter-finals, as things stand, while PSG or Atletico are other formidable contenders. Topping the league phase didn't benefit Liverpool last season as they came up against PSG in the last 16 and were knocked out.

This year, the girls are in smaller groups, and my daughter seems to have struggled with this change. Her ‘best friend’ has started spending a lot of time with a girl from another class outside of school because they live close to each other. My daughter is not being excluded in any way but is extremely jealous of their friendship. We tend to see significant shifts in friendships for children (especially girls) between the ages of seven and nine. Your daughter is aware that her best friend is forming a strong connection with someone else she sees a lot outside of school.

Minister for education Hildegarde Naughton confirmed an extra 10 minutes per written paper will be granted for eligible students in this year's Leaving Certificate and Junior Cycle exams. It comes as the State Examinations Commission (SEC), which is responsible for the delivery of the State examinations, continues to review its Reasonable Accommodations at the Certificate Examinations (Race) scheme. Under an interim measure for 2026, 10 minutes per written exam paper will be granted for certain candidates already eligible for Race accommodations. The extra time will be extended to students already eligible for reasonable accommodations in the written examinations featuring a direct intervention. However, there are some exceptions, including students granted accommodations arranged by the school such as rest breaks or those whose only need is for a special examination centre.

The incident happened at the junction of Church Road and Bridge Street in Swords shortly before 12.30pmA woman in her 60s has died following a collision involving a truck in Dublin this afternoon. The incident took place at the junction of Church Road and Bridge Street in Swords shortly before 12.30pm. The woman, a pedestrian, was pronounced dead at the scene. Any road users, who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) and were travelling in the area of Church Road and Bridge Street in Swords between 12.10pm and 12.40pm are asked to make this footage available to investigating Gardaí. Anyone with information is asked to contact Swords garda station on 01 666 4700, the garda confidential line on 1800 666 111, or any garda station.

A case taken by online car hire company Easirent against DAA over its ability to pick up and drop off customers at Dublin Airport began before Mr Justice Max Barrett at the High Court on Tuesday. State airport operator DAA “abused its dominant position” over the car hire market at Dublin Airport, the High Court heard on Tuesday. A case taken by online car hire company Easirent against DAA over its ability to pick up and drop off customers at Dublin Airport began before Mr Justice Max Barrett at the High Court on Tuesday. Counsel for ER Travel said the DAA were preventing the emergence of “new, innovative business models” and that their actions will result in consumers paying higher rates. It further denies that the car hire company “provides its services ‘off the airport’”.

A defensive Arne Slot insisted Liverpool can still win a trophy this season but accepted if they continue to under-perform at both ends of the pitch the growing criticism would increase significantly. But it is their Premier League form which is attracting the scrutiny as Saturday's defeat at Bournemouth was their seventh of the season. "It's impossible to shut down the noise at a club like this if you are not competing for the league. If we only improve in one box, it is going to be really difficult to win something this season. "If we can't improve in both boxes, it's going to be a lot of noise throughout the whole season."

Why David Beckham's son snubbed supporting Man Utd for Premier League rival - 'Impossible'One of Sir David Beckham's sons became an Arsenal fan after a VIP experience with one iconic manager at the Emirates StadiumView 4 Images David Beckham is in hot water with more than one of his kids this week (Image: Eddie Keogh - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)Sir David Beckham's son, Romeo, is a devoted Arsenal supporter thanks to the special treatment Arsene Wenger showed him during his childhood. The Beckham family has endured considerable scrutiny lately following eldest son Brooklyn's public rejection of his parents on social media. ‌Although the Beckhams were raised as United fans, the 23-year-old has become a passionate Gunners supporter following a memorable childhood visit to Arsenal. Arsenal have the opportunity to recover midweek against Kairat Almaty in the Champions League before travelling to Leeds United in the Premier League on Saturday. Meanwhile, United will benefit from a complete week of rest and preparation before hosting Fulham at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Jurors at an inquest have been shown CCTV footage of a schoolboy cycling home naked before he was found dead in a storm drain days later. Mr Rocks, who attended St Malachy's College in Belfast with Noah, told the hearing: 'He was the nicest, friendliest person, funniest person.' Mr Rocks continued: 'He never mentioned to me anything about storm drains or going underground or being in tunnels. The inquest was shown a series of social media messages between Noah, Mr Rocks and another friend - Jay Tierney. Mr Rocks told the inquest that he believed Noah had become 'more open' about his mental health during the Covid lockdown period.

Man charged over burglary at Athlone shopA 20-year-old man has appeared in court after being charged in relation to a burglary of a convenience store at the Crescent, Athlone, in the early hours of last Friday morning. A passerby contacted Gardai after spotting the damaged door and items strewn around inside the shop. A spokesperson for Athlone Garda Station said the accused was subsequently arrested and brought to the station where he was detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act. The Athlone Garda spokesperson said the bulk of the items that were stolen have been recovered. Separately, Gardai were called to the scene of a vehicle fire on the Roscommon side of the N6 Athlone Relief Road on Sunday evening.

Patrick Dorgu set to be sidelined for number of weeks for Man UtdBy Jamie Gardner, Press Association Chief Sports ReporterPatrick Dorgu is set to be sidelined for a number of weeks for Manchester United due to a hamstring injury. United will seek to continue their excellent start under interim head coach Michael Carrick when they face Fulham at Old Trafford on Sunday. A protest against the club’s owners – including for the first time towards Sir Jim Ratcliffe as well as the Glazers – is set to take place beforehand. “This club is being dragged through chaos by clown ownership, capped off by a circus stadium design that perfectly symbolises how far standards and ambition have fallen. “We feel United is broken and Ratcliffe cannot fix the mess that started with the Glazers and he is adding to.

Andy Burnham hits back at 'simply untrue' claims over blocking of Westminster comebackThe Mayor of Greater Manchester's hopes of a Westminster comeback came to an abrupt end at the weekend when Labour's governing body vetoed his candidacyView Image Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham (Image: @ITVNewsPolitics)Andy Burnham has hit out at claims he was warned in advance he would be blocked for standing in a crucial by-election. Mr Burnham branded the claims "simply untrue" on his X account. Mr Burnham said that he had spent the weekend having conversations with senior people in Downing Street to "discuss the pros and cons" of putting himself forward. ‌He added: "It is simply untrue to say that there was a message given I would definitely be blocked. Article continues belowAnd Cabinet minister Steve Reed rejected suggestions that denying Mr Burnham a run in the upcoming contest stemmed from fears of a challenge to Mr Starmer's leadership.