NEED TO CATCH up? The Journal brings you a round-up of today’s news.

IRELAND

The FAI has said it is shocked. FAI FAI

• The President of the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has told members that it takes seriously a series of historical abuse allegations made by women involved in the sport in the 1990s.
• Tánaiste Micheál Martin has said it is clear that the majority of the €19 million fund aimed at reducing children’s spinal surgery waiting list was not used for the purpose intended by government.
• ActionAid Ireland urged the Minister for Integration Roderic O’Gorman to make lone parents exempt from being evicted from Direct Provision accommodation.
• A man “with a myriad of problems” who brandished a knife as he confronted a Ukrainian couple and their child at their new home in Dublin, has been handed a nine-month sentence.
• Five family and a teenager used “medieval violence” to “butcher” father of seven in “an honour killing” during a Co Kerry funeral, carrying out a “biblical atrocity” that was “tragic and heartbreaking as it was ridiculous and stupid”, a prosecution barrister has told a Central Criminal Court jury.
• Waste Management companies will not increase bin charges because of the Deposit Return Scheme, according to Minister of State at the Department of the Environment Ossian Smyth. 
• Taxi fares look set to increase by approximately 9% later this year after the National Transport Authority (NTA) recommended a proposed hike in fares to reflect the cost of operating a taxi.

INTERNATIONAL

Members of the public enter a polling station held at Holly Trinity Church in Heydon, Hertfordshire. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

#UK ELECTIONS: It’s been six long weeks since UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stood in the pouring Downing Street rain and announced a general election. We have all the latest as brits and voters in the North hit the polls. 

#ISRAEL: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced he has agreed to send a delegation for talks on securing the release of hostages seized in the 7 October attacks.

#WILDFIRES: Thousands of people have been ordered to evacuate as a wildfire rages out of control in northern California, with a swathe of the United States in the grip of a “record-breaking and dangerous” heatwave that was complicating firefighting efforts.

PARTING SHOT

Minister for Finance Jack Chambers announced the date this morning. RollingNews.ie RollingNews.ie

Minister for Finance Jack Chambers has announced that this year’s Budget will be held on 1 October. 

The date is one week earlier than usual, which will further fuel speculation that an early general election is on the cards.

However, speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Chambers insisted that the Government is “absolutely committed” to seeing out its full term until March next year.

“We have to submit our fiscal and budgetary submission to the European Commission on 15 October and the week prior to that, both myself and Minister Donohoe will be attending ECOFIN and Eurogroup meetings, so 1 October is the natural date,” Chambers said.