EVERY MORNING, TheJournal.ie brings you nine things you need to know with your morning cup of coffee.
1. #MORE WATER: One of the country’s leading economists is warning that €2 billion could be wasted as a result of overstaffing at Irish Water. According to The Irish Times, John Fitzgerald of the ESRI says that the new utility will end up paying for the services of 4,000 people even though it only needs a staff of around 1,700.
2. #STILL SMOULDERING: Firefighters will remain at the scene of the weekend’s major blaze in Ballymount for at least the next day or two, Dublin Fire Brigade has said this morning. Traffic restrictions are in place around the area.
3. #SUSPICIOUS DEATH: Gardaí are investigating the sudden death of a man in Longford. The 36-year-old’s body was found at an apartment complex in the town yesterday morning. The scene remains preserved for forensic tests.
4. #STEM CELLS: The first facility in Ireland licensed to manufacture human stem cells opens today in NUI Galway, RTÉ reports. It means some patients will be able access clinical trials involving stem cell therapies
5. #KIEV: Ukraine’s justice minister has warned she will declare a state of emergency unless protesters leave her building, the BBC reports. The anti-government demonstrators occupied the ministry last night, setting up barricades with bags of snow.
6. #DRUGS: More methadone users than heroin users died in one year in Ireland, according to new figures. The Health Research Board found that 113 methadone users died of an overdose in 2011, almost double the number for heroin.
7. #CRASH: An 18-year-old driver was killed in a crash on the M7 in Tipperary last night. Three young passengers — aged between 18 and 20 — were treated in hospital but later released. There are traffic restrictions in place in the area this morning.
8. #RELIGION: The Association of Catholic Priests aren’t happy with Ruairí Quinn’s comments on the teaching of religion in schools. The group has described as “unacceptable” the Education Minister’s remark that the time used for religion be devoted to other subjects.
9. #AFTER THE DELUGE: Around 500 householders across the West have been left without power this morning as a result of the weekend storm. Much of the country experienced strong winds throughout yesterday. Met Éireann’s ‘orange alert’ warning period comes to an end this morning.
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