LAST UPDATE | 26 May 2023

GOOD MORNING.

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

Irish prisons

1. The Irish Prison system has regressed when it comes to dealing with overcrowding, particularly in women’s prisons.  

That’s according to a report entitled Progress in the Penal System 2022 (PIPS), which is carried out by the Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT).

Iceland staff 

2. A Government minister is seeking to meet with the new owners of grocery retailer Iceland following serious concerns raised over how staff have been treated in recent weeks.

Staff have complained of erratic wage payments, which have seen some receiving a fraction of their ordinary pay packet, and others miss out on their wages altogether. 

Fatal stabbing in Wexford 

3. A man has died following a stabbing at a house in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford last night. A man in his 20s has been arrested. 

Water supply issues 

4. Uisce Éireann is continuing to try and restore water supply to thousands of Dublin homes and businesses after a burst water main in the city caused disruption yesterday, and saw some schools unable to open today. 

Limerick jobs boost 

5. A huge jobs boost has been announced for Limerick as H&MV Engineering is today opening its official headquarters in Castleroy. 

The company plans to recruit an additional 700 staff members over the next five years, bringing its total workforce to 1400. 

The company will also be extending its graduate and apprenticeship programmes, as its new HQ has state-of-the-art training facilities. 

Newborn screenings 

6. Jonathan O’Grady lives with spinal muscular atrophy. He says the heel prick test in Ireland should be expanded for early detection.

“When I was born in the 1970s, the landscape of medical knowledge about neuromuscular conditions was vastly different than it is today. Almost nothing was known about spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), the condition that has shaped my life’s journey.”

Ukraine

7. Russian forces launched overnight air attacks on Kyiv, military officials in the Ukrainian capital said today, adding that all the missiles were intercepted and destroyed.

“Another air attack on Kyiv, 13th in a row since the beginning of May! And, as always, at nighttime,” the city’s military administration said on its Telegram account.

Ryan Tubridy 

8. Tonight marks the end of Ryan Tubridy’s 14-year stint as host of The Late Late Show. 

Having taken over from Pat Kenny in 2009, Tubridy has established himself as RTÉ’s top earner, one of Ireland’s most recognisable faces, and a divisive figure among the public, many of whom either love or hate him.

Bravery

9. 11 deceased, retired and serving gardaí are to be awarded Scott Medals for bravery.

Among the recipients are the late Inspector Sam Donegan, who was killed in an explosion on the border in 1972, and Sergeant Daniel Kelleher, who was shot by the IRA while trying to protect his colleagues.