LAST UPDATE | 14 Jul 2023

GOOD MORNING.

Here’s everything you need to know as you start your day.

Climate crisis

1. Ireland’s emissions fell less than 2% in 2022, according to the latest assessment by the Environmental Protection Agency, raising alarm bells about whether the country can stay within legally-binding emissions ceilings between now and 2025.

Emissions were higher in 2021 than 2020 and dropped only 1.9% in 2022. The weak result means that the coming years will require an “extremely challenging annual reduction”, the EPA has warned, with drops of 12.4% in 2023, 2024 and 2025 now needed in order to stay within the first carbon budget.

RTÉ

2. RTÉ Director General Kevin Bakhurst has commissioned an external review of the broadcaster’s voluntary exit schemes in 2017 and 2021.

The issue was brought up during the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee (PAC) yesterday after it was revealed that the voluntary redundancy package, which former RTÉ chief financial officer (CFO) Breda O’Keeffe availed of, was not signed off by other members of the executive board.

Ukraine

3. Ukraine’s armed forces have received cluster munitions promised by the United States to help boost Kyiv’s slow-moving counteroffensive.

Senior military officials from the two countries have confirmed the delivery, which has sparked some controversy internationally.

Leinster House

4. The Dáil’s summer recess has begun, with politicians not due back in Leinster House until September.

Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl urged TDs to spend time with their families and said the “cynics will think we are off on our long holidays” but that TDs would be working in their constituencies.

“Maybe they should take a little time away from their phones. If Deputy Danny Healy-Rae were here I would be advocating that to him in particular,” he joked.

Trump trial

5. The US Justice Department has urged a judge to reject Donald Trump’s efforts to postpone his classified documents trial, saying there was no basis for an “open-ended” delay sought by his lawyers.

Federal prosecutors last month proposed a 11 December trial for Trump, who is charged with 37 felony counts related to the mishandling of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate, though the actual date will be up to the judge.

SAG-AFTRA strike

6. Hollywood actors have announced they are going on strike, joining writers in the first industry-wide shutdown in 63 years after last-ditch talks failed, with nearly all film and television production set to grind to a halt.

In London, where Christopher Nolan’s new film Oppenheimer premiered yesterday evening, Cillian Murphy walked out alongside his co-stars. 

Slieve Donard

7. A walker died after collapsing at the summit of Slieve Donard.

Slieve Donard, in Newcastle, Co Down, is the highest mountain in Ulster and is part of the Mourne Mountains.

At around 1.20pm yesterday, the Mourne Mountain Rescue Team received a call for assistance via the PSNI after a walker collapsed at the summit of Slieve Donard.

Weather warning

8. A status yellow rainfall warning is currently in place for every county in Ireland except Donegal.

However, Co Donegal will also become subject to a status yellow warning later today.

Currently, all of Connacht, Leinster and Munster is under the yellow warning, as well as counties Cavan and Monaghan.

Barristers’ strike

9. Barristers in Ireland could be set to strike in October following a recommendation that they “withdraw services” to demand pay reforms for those working on the legal aid scheme.

The Bar of Ireland said yesterday that it has recommended to its members the withdrawal of services “in pursuit of a meaningful, independent and time-limited mechanism” to determine how much criminal barristers are paid under the legal aid scheme.