LAST UPDATE | 4 Jul 2023
GOOD MORNING.
Here’s all the news you need to know as you start your day.
RTÉ
1. The terms of reference for an external review panel which will examine the affairs of RTÉ are expected to be approved by Cabinet today.
If approved, it is understood it will only take a short period of time to put the external review panel in place.
Media Minister Catherine Martin is expected to use her powers under Ireland’s Broadcasting Act to appoint a designated auditor to examine RTÉ’s accounts.
Trade
2. Cross-border trade in goods between Ireland and Northern Ireland has experienced substantial growth since Brexit, according to new research conducted by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
In Northern Ireland, 35% of imported goods came from Ireland in 2021 while 53% of its exported goods went south across the border, totalling €2.6 billion and €5.6 billion respectively.
Budget
3. The government is expected to unveil its Summer Economic Statement after it is approved by Cabinet today.
The statement will give a broad idea of what the next budgetary package could include and how much money the Government has to play with.
Last year, the Government announced an €11 billion budgetary package, with €6.9 billion in Budget 2023 and accompanied by €4.1 billion in one-off measures to help with the rising cost of living.
There is speculation that ministers will opt to breach the government’s own budget spending rules for the second year in a row.
Cariban
4. A total of 1,621 women have been approved for reimbursement for the cost of a drug that helps with severe sickness during pregnancy.
The drug, known as Cariban, was previously unavailable on the drugs payment scheme or medical card.
A major campaign women impacted by severe vomiting – known as Hyperemesis Gravidarum or HG – called for the State to reimburse expenses for Cariban, which can cost up to €3,000 over the course of a pregnancy.
Greig Oliver
5. The IRFU and Munster Rugby have paid tribute tonight to coach Greig Oliver, who passed away today following a paragliding accident in South Africa.
The Scottish native was in the country for the World Rugby U20 Championship to support his son Jack, who is a member of the Ireland squad competing in the tournament.
The accident occurred in Cape Town yesterday afternoon.
Tara Mines
6. Siptu representatives have called on the government to expedite measures to protect the livelihoods of workers at Tara Mines and the long-term future of the facility in Co Meath ahead of talks at the Workplace Relations Commission this morning.
In a statement on 13 June, Swedish parent company Boliden confirmed that production and exploration at the mine would cease temporarily and the mine would be placed “under care and maintenance” within a month.
This would involve the loss of 650 jobs at the Navan mine, which is Europe’s largest zinc mine.
West Bank
7. Israeli forces have killed eight Palestinians and injured 80 in a large-scale operation today in the occupied West Bank that the army labelled an “extensive counterterrorism effort” involving air strikes and hundreds of troops.
The raid, launched under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hard-right government, targeted the northern city of Jenin and was the biggest in the West Bank for years, featuring armoured vehicles, army bulldozers and drones.
Philadelphia shooting
8. Four people were killed and two children were injured in a shooting in the US city of Philadelphia.
Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said two boys, aged two and 13, were in a stable condition after being injured in the shooting yesterday.
A suspect has been taken into custody.
Threads
9. Facebook owner Meta is launching a new app to rival Twitter this week.
Threads, which will be linked to Instagram, is available for pre-order in the Apple App Store and will go live on Thursday.
It is described as a “text-based conversation app… where communities come together”.
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