LAST UPDATE | 4 Apr 2025

GOOD MORNING.

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

Cautious budget on the cards

1. A cautious and prudent budget is on the cards this October with government reluctant to make any spending and taxation decisions that “create new risks”. 

Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe and Public Expenditure Minister Jack Chambers said yesterday the next budget will seek to avoid making spending decisions that create new economic risks.

Schools needing financial help

2. There has been a 540% increase in the number of schools in Ireland who have been referred to the state’s financial crisis assistance team, which offers guidance to management, in the last two years, our morning lead reports.

New figures reveal that almost half of the 34 facilities in Ireland receiving assistance in their finances are special schools or are included on the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (Deis) programme.

Paternity leave gap

3. Only half of fathers avail of the paternity leave benefits available to them, a new report has revealed.

The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission and the Economic and Social Research Institute has examined the uptake in child-related benefits, finding fathers in high-paying jobs are far less likely to avail of entitlements.

Trump: ‘All going well’

4. Donald Trump told reporters that things are “going very well” when asked for his assessment after the US stock market suffered its biggest one-day fall since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.

On his way to one of his golf clubs in Florida, the US President said: “The markets are going to boom, the stock is going to boom, the country is going to boom.”

Dogs, cash and scramblers seized

5. Three women were arrested in west Dublin yesterday as gardaí seized several XL Bully dogs, cash and scrambler motorcycles from a home in Corduff, Dublin 15.

The three women were being held at separate garda stations in Dublin last night following the operation which was led by the Drugs Unit and Crime Task Force detectives.

Pharma to dominate trade forum

6. Tánaiste Simon Harris will chair the third meeting of the government’s trade forum today, which will focus on the fallout of Donald Trump’s 20% tariffs on the EU and the potential of the US President imposing further taxes on the pharma industry.

The trade forum – an expert group on cross-Atlantic economic relations – will discuss a detailed action plan which will be implemented over six weeks to offset the impacts of the American tariffs.

School avoidance

7. A comprehensive approach is needed to address the critical issue of school avoidance for the well-being of children, says Marian Quinn of the Childhood Development Initiative in our Voices section this morning.

The CEO of the non-profit group writes how the issue is impacting students, families and schools – and how to better support them.

Fallout of Le Pen ban

8. French Newspaper Le Monde reports that the idea of letting Jordan Bardella, the French politician leading the far-right National Rally, enter a bid for the presidency is a taboo topic within Marine Le Pen’s party.

Le Pen, who was convicted of embezzlement and banned from public office for five years this week, was set to seek the Élysée before her case. Now, it seems the party might get cold feet to support the 26-year-old Bardella.

Israeli army launch offensive in Gaza

3. The Israeli army has launched a new ground offensive east of Gaza City in the north of the territory, to expand the security zone it has established inside the Palestinian territory.

A statement said that troops have begun conducting ground activities in the north of Gaza, in order to expand the security zone.