EVERY MORNING, TheJournal.ie brings you nine things you need to know before 9am…
1. #RECAPITALISATION: The sale of Irish Life – the profitable life assurance arm of Irish Life & Permanent – has collapsed at a cost of €1.3 billion to the taxpayer. The Government said it will now work with the group to ensure it meets the Central Bank’s capital requirements.
2. #BUDGET 2012: The details of the Budget for 2012 will be revealed over two days instead of the traditional one day announcement. According to the Irish Times, Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin will unveil cuts to public spending on Monday week with Finance Minister Michael Noonan outlining taxation changes on Tuesday, 6 December.
3. #HEALTH: The Department of Health has no plans to extend the list of conditions covered by the Long Term Illness Scheme even though it has not been updated since 1975 and excludes a number of chronic illnesses such as Crohn’s disease and Alzheimers.
4. #PROTEST: Thousands of people are expected to turn up to a protest march against austerity in Dublin today. Led by the Dublin Council of Trade Unions and supported by Siptu and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, the rally will begin at the Garden of Remembrance at Parnell Square at noon.
5. #NOT GUILTY: Retired priest Fr Daniel Duane was cleared of a charge of indecently assaulting a 14-year-old girl 31 years ago, the Irish Examiner reports. The priest’s accuser had told the court that Fr Duane whispered to her that God would approve as he touched her but the jury returned their unanimous not guilty verdict yesterday.
6. #DEFAMATION: Vodafone and one of its ad makers have been ordered to pay a cleaning company €85,000 after a court found that an advertisement published by the mobile company in 2005 suggested Grosvenor Cleaning Services was inefficient, reports the Irish Independent.
7. #PAKISTAN: Intelligence officers in Pakistan have said that NATO helicopters from Afghanistan entered Pakistani territory last night, attacked a military checkpoint and killed at least 24 troops, according to Al Jazeera. The military organisation has said it is aware that there was an “incident” at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and is currently gathering information.
8. #WINDY: If you’ve been outside yet this morning, you’ll know it’s a windy one. Met Éireann has issued a weather warning for the whole country today, predicting strong to gale force winds and gusts of between 80 and 110 km/h. Coastal counties in the south, west and north will be the worst affected from 3 o’clock this afternoon.
9. #OH DANNY BOY: Daniel O’Donnell has proved he has more than just a ‘cúpla focal’ after contributing a song ‘as Gaeilge’ to a charity album. The Donegal native sings the title track Le Cuidiú Dé (You Raise Me Up) on the record which is being sold to raise funds for a local hospice. The 14-song compilation goes on sale on 10 December.
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