LAST UPDATE | 1 Aug 2023

GOOD MORNING.

Here’s everything you need to know as you start your day.

Co Monaghan crash

1. Two teenage girls have died and three others have been injured in a fatal road crash in Co Monaghan yesterday evening.

Gardaí attended the scene of the crash, that occurred at 6.45pm yesterday evening, on the N54 road in Legnakelly, Monaghan.

A female teenager, aged 18, is in a critical condition and currently receiving treatment in Cavan General Hospital. A male teenager, aged 18, is currently receiving treatment in Cavan General Hospital for non-life threatening injuries.

The driver of the car, a 60-year-old man, is in a critical condition and is currently receiving treatment in Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast.

The Journal understands that some of the individuals involved in the crash were travelling to a debs yesterday evening.

Drinking water quality

2. The number of whose drinking water is provided by ‘at-risk’ public supplies increased by 100,000 in 2022, according to a new report by the Environment Protection Agency (EPA).

Overall, the quality of drinking water from public supplies is very high, with 99.96% of samples taken last year falling within bacterial and chemical limits.

Cost-rental scheme

3. New increased income thresholds for the Government’s cost-rental scheme come into effect from today – with a higher limit in place for those based in Dublin.

The maximum net household income limit will be increased from €53,000 across the country to €66,000 for those in Dublin and €59,000 for the rest of the country.

Accenture job cuts

4. Accenture is to make around 890 employees at its Irish operation redundant.

The layoffs, which have been in the pipeline since March, represent almost 14% of the Irish headquartered management consultancy multinational’s Irish workforce of 6,500.

New HSE regions

5. The HSE is to be split into six new health regions in February 2024 after health minister Stephen Donnelly received cabinet approval for the plan, as one of the promised reforms set to be brought on with Sláintecare.

According to the HSE Health Regions Implementation Plan, all geographical appointments of regions and the appointments new roles, such as Regional Executive Officers (REO), will be complete by October of this year.

Crime action plan

6. Daily and weekly reviews will be conducted of areas that are ‘prone to anti-social behaviour’, under a new action plan agreed between the government and the Garda Commissioner.

The findings of each review will inform future operational plans to tackle crime in the capital.

X sign

7. A brightly flashing X sign has been removed from the San Francisco headquarters of the company formerly known as Twitter just days after it was installed.

The San Francisco Department of Building Inspection said on Monday it had received 24 complaints about the unpermitted structure over the weekend, including concerns about its structural safety and illumination.

Niger 

8. Niger’s new junta has accused France of seeking to “intervene militarily” to reinstate deposed President Mohamed Bazoum as tension mounted with the former colonial power and neighbours.

France’s foreign minister Catherine Colonna hit back yesterday evening by denying the claims and adding it was still “possible” to restore Bazoum to power.

Euphoria actor death

9. Angus Cloud, the actor who starred in the HBO series Euphoria, has died at the age of 25.

Cloud’s publicist, Cait Bailey, said he died yesterday at his family home in Oakland, California.

No cause of death was given.