LAST UPDATE | 24 Apr 2024

GOOD MORNING.

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

Donaldson to appear before Co Down court this morning

1. Former leader of the DUP Jeffrey Donaldson is to appear in person before a Co Down court this morning after he was charged with historical offences last month.

It is understood that Donaldson plans to “strenuously contest” the charges against him. He will appear alongside a 57-year-old woman who is charged with aiding and abetting.

Eating disorder beds were not funded

2. In today’s morning lead, Paul O’Donoghue writes that the Irish healthcare system has just three beds for patients with eating disorders and no funding was provided to hospitals to increase that figure to 20, as was planned.

Under the HSE’s model of care, a plan to overhaul the country’s eating disorder services, an additional 20 beds were to be opened between 2018 and 2023. However, the organisation has now confirmed that no new funding was provided for this.

Bogus self-employment, culture of fear and betrayal in RTÉ

3. The union representing journalists in RTÉ are to tell TDs about issues of bogus self-employment arrangements in the broadcaster as well as a culture of fear and betrayal felt by reporters.

The National Union Of Journalists will also call on Media Minister Catherine Martin to “end the uncertainty over the funding” of RTÉ.

Tánaiste to visit Talbieh Refugee Camp

4. Micheál Martin is to travel to a UNWRA Palestinian refugee camp in Jordan today as part of his official visit to the Middle East.

During his visit to Talbieh Camp, one of six camps for refugees fleeing the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, he will tour a UNWRA-funded school and medical clinic located on the site.

President Higgins says he had a ‘mild stroke’

5. In an interview with the Irish Times, President Michael D Higgins said he had a “mild stroke” during his health troubles last month, but he’s “fine now” after his release from hospital.

The wide-ranging interview with the president described the stroke as his “little episode”, discussed failures of EU migration policy, Ireland’s links with Britain and conversations he has had with the UK’s King Charles on their shared health problems.

Employment boom for all groups post-Covid

6. Employment rates for all groups of society increased after the end of the Covid-19 pandemic, while unemployment and labour market inactivity generally fell, new findings show.

The report said that such schemes could be “usefully activated” in future labour market crises, if they were carefully designed and adequately resourced.

US Congress approves $95 billion aid package

7. The US Congress gave their final approval to a bill which will deliver a $95 billion (€88.4 billion) aid package to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan last night.

President Joe Biden quickly promised to sign the long-delayed bill and begin delivering fresh supplies this week to the warzone in Ukraine, as Russia makes battlefield gains.

Amnesty International hits out at Govt over housing

8. A new report by Amnesty International has deemed Ireland’s housing crisis and the record number of people in emergency accommodation “a stain” on the country’s reputation. 

It states that “the crisis of housing availability and affordability worsened”, leading to record numbers of people experiencing homelessness, including children. 

Potential ban on TikTok in the United States

9. New legislation approved by the United States Government last night requires the wildly popular social media app TikTok to be divested from its Chinese parent company ByteDance or be shut out of the American market.

Under the bill, ByteDance would have to sell the app within a year or be excluded from Apple and Google’s app stores in the United States.