LAST UPDATE | 19 May

GOOD MORNING.

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

Nursing homes 

1. Families of nursing home residents who have been told their loved ones must leave their accommodation have described the panic and fear of trying to find alternative care at short notice.

Septic tanks

2. Over half of septic tanks tested by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last year failed, and some councils are way behind on inspections.

Yves Sakila

3. Video footage appears to show five men holding a man prone on the ground before his death after an alleged shoplifting incident on Henry Street in Dublin on Friday.

Rape helpline calls

4. The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) helpline had its highest number of calls ever in 2025.

Détente 

5. Hungary’s new prime minister is visiting Poland today, hoping to mend ties strained by his predecessor Viktor Orbán. 

Iran 

6. US President Donald Trump has said there was a “very positive development” in talks with Iran after he called off a threatened renewed assault on the country.

Puppy farms 

7. Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon will today introduce draft legislation with significant reforms to dog breeding and ‘puppy farms’ in Ireland. 

Phase out

8. Ireland needs to set a date after which no new gas and oil boilers can be installed, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) has said.

Ebola

9.  Procedures are in place to detect and manage cases of Ebola in Ireland, even though the risk to the Irish population is low, the HSE has said.