The 9 at 9: Friday

The 9 at 9 EU presidency security concerns, energy bill arrears hit record levels and a list of the Dáil’s landlords.

LAST UPDATE | 27 Feb

GOOD MORNING.

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

1. Thirty five members of the Dáil have declared that they rented out property or land last year – Jane Moore has pulled together the full list here.

2. Gardaí have classified more than 40 events during Ireland’s presidency of the EU as needing major security operations – with six of those requiring the highest possible level of military and police coverage, The Journal has learned.

3. Almost 320,000 households were unable to pay their electricity bills in full last December, marking a sharp year-on-year increase and pushing arrears to record levels.

4. The UK’s Green Party has won its first ever parliamentary by-election in Gorton and Denton, Manchester, dealing a bitter blow to Keir Starmer.

5. Former US President Bill Clinton will be grilled by a Congressional panel today on his well-documented links to Jeffrey Epstein, as Democrats seek to shift focus onto Donald Trump’s own ties to the convicted sex offender.

6. Drogheda United have been hit with record sanctions including a €15,000 fine and four-match supporter ban for away games following their controversial Louth derby clash with Dundalk last Friday.

8. The giant statue of St Patrick raising a pint outside Dublin’s Temple Bar Pub has been taken down, less than 24 hours after it first appeared on the city centre landmark.

9. A player in Co Mayo has become the first jackpot winner of 2026 after scooping €11,101,286 in Wednesday night’s draw.