LAST UPDATE | 21 Dec 2024

GOOD MORNING.

Here’s all the news that you need to know as you start your day.

Attack in Germany

1. Two people have been killed and dozens have been injured after a car was driven into a crowd at a Christmas market in the eastern German city of Magdeburg yesterday evening. 

The driver of the car, a Saudi Arabian man in his 50s, has been arrested. 

Letterkenny

2. In this morning’s lead story, Eoghan Dalton reports that families in a Letterkenny housing estate have been left in limbo after finding out that a deal for their landlord to sell the homes to Donegal County Council is on the verge of collapse.

Public transport shortfalls

3. The Dublin Commuter Coalition has raised alarm over reduced public transport services during the Christmas season, as they warn that delays to new bus services and a temporary suspension of cross-city trains will pose significant commuting challenges.

Enoch Burke

4. The High Court has ordered that school teacher Enoch Burke be released from prison, where he has been held since 2 September for contempt of court, with the judge citing the cost of keeping him in prison while the state is also paying his teacher’s salary. 

The cost of keeping Burke in Mountjoy Prison is €84,067 annually, or €1,600 a week, the judge said.

Christmas break

5. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have parked government formation talks for Christmas, planning to meet again in the New Year after making “progress” in meetings today.

The two parties, which secured 48 and 38 seats in November’s election respectively, are angling to get back into Government together with the support of Independents or a smaller party.

Ryanair

6. Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary has said he “regrets” charging customers €500 for one-way tickets from London to Dublin.

O’Leary blamed the government-imposed passenger cap on Dublin airport, which was introduced as a means to manage road traffic and congestion for locals, as the key factor behind soaring plane tickets and asked the government to intervene. 

Sipo

7. The public ethics watchdog Sipo has for a second time ruled out a formal investigation into Leo Varadkar leaking a GP contract while Taoiseach.

This is despite TD Paul Murphy previously taking judicial review proceedings in the High Court that lead to the matter being referred to Sipo for consideration once again. 

Courts

8. Irish People Party candidate Ross Lahive has been handed down a three-month jail sentence at Tralee District Court this afternoon for his part in disrupting a drag story event for children at Tralee library in July 2023

Caroline Stanley

9. Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has said the party will speak with Laois Councillor Caroline Stanley, wife of ex-Sinn Féin TD Brian Stanley, in the new year, telling The Journal “there are issues there that need to get ironed out”.