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GOOD MORNING
The 9 at 9
Good morning! Here are nine things you need to know as you start your day.
EVERY MORNING, TheJournal.ie brings you nine things you need to know with your morning cup of coffee.
1. #POWER: The strong winds across the country overnight have left 70,000 people without power this morning. ESB described it as “the worst storm in 15 years” and said it expects the numbers without power to rise as the morning progresses.
2.#FOOD SAFETY: The Irish Times reports horror stories of some food businesses with cockroaches and dead rats among the reasons for 142 enforcement orders by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland in 2013 – the highest number in the history of the FSAI.
3. #DEADLINE: The Taoiseach has admitted that his own target for Ireland getting retroactive recapitalisation of our banks will not be met, though he still expects something to happen in the latter half of 2014.
4. #PUBLIC TRANSPORT: Minister of State Alan Kelly wants to add five million extra people to the numbers using public transport in Ireland in 2014. In an interview with TheJournal.ie, Kelly said he never used the word ‘snobbish’ but again repeated comments about those on higher incomes using public transport less.
5. #PHONE TAPPING: Documents from 1983 reveal the Garda Commissioner at the time believed he had no choice but to retire after a massive phone-tapping scandal was uncovered, despite assertions by the government at the time that he was not asked to resign. The scandal ultimately led to the downfall of Taoiseach Charles Haughey after allegations he was shown transcripts of recorded conversations.
6. #CHILD BENEFIT: Minister Brendan Howlin has told the Irish Independent that child benefit it now safe from any further cuts or means testing measures. This comes despite Fine Gael’s plans for a reform of the social welfare system.
7. #CREDIT UNION: Over the last three years, Irish credit unions have pursued members for debts of nearly €35 million through the courts, the Irish Examiner reports. The single highest judgement was in Roscrea at almost €750,000.
8. #SADDAM: The man who oversaw the hanging of Saddam Hussein said, in an interview with AFP, that the former Iraqi dictator was “normal and relaxed” right before his death. Just before he was hanged, the man said Hussein began to recite the Muslim testament of faith.
9. #SOUTH SUDAN: Leaders from east African countries will come together today to discuss the escalating violence in South Sudan, with more than 1,000 people now believed to have been killed, BBc reports.
