EVERY MORNING, TheJournal.ie brings you the nine things you need to know as you start your day.
1. #CYPRUS: The Eurozone’s finance ministers are travelling to Brussels for a make-or-break meeting which will decide whether Cyprus gets an EU-IMF bailout – or whether it will be forced to leave the single currency. The bailout could require Cyprus to take 25% out of bank accounts over €100,000 – a move which could see the Russian government try to retaliate against Europe.
2. #WATER CHARGES: The introduction of water charges could be pushed back by around twelve months, to ease the burden on households following the introduction of the property tax, according to reports this morning. the Sunday Times says the government will seek Troika approval to push the charges back for twelve months, even though the Troika has previously criticised the slow pace at which Ireland is introducing the measures.
3. #INSOLVENCY: Some working parents may be forced to give up their jobs and stay at home if their families are to qualify for relief under the new personal insolvency system. The Sunday Business Post says draft guidelines from the Personal Insolvency Service would ask parents to give up their jobs if their earnings are less than the cost of childcare.
4. #PROPERTY TAX: Over a quarter of Irish homes don’t plan on paying the property tax, according to an opinion poll. The Red C poll for the Sunday Business Post says 29 per cent of homes are eligible to pay, but do not intend to. In a major finding, 50 per cent of homes believe they are likely to be fined because they will calculate the wrong level of tax – while 59 per cent said they were less likely to vote for Fine Gael and Labour as a result of it.
5. #CRITICAL: A 7-year-old Cork boy has been transferred to hospital in Crumlin after sustaining critical injuries near his home in Midleton, Co Cork. RTÉ says the boy fell into a river near his home at about 7pm last night, and was taken to Cork University Hospital, from where he was later transported to Crumlin about three hours later.
6. #THREESOMES: A Fine Gael TD has criticised a state-funded youth organisation after learning that it offers advice to teenagers on having threesomes. The Sunday Independent says Michelle Mulherin – who has previously spoken out against ‘fornication’ as a cause of unwanted pregnancy – says SpunOut, which receives HSE funding, should not promote such sexual activity.
7. #IMO: The Irish Medical Organisation is to undertake a comprehensive review of how its former chief executive, George McNeice, accrued a pension worth €9.7 million. An extraordinary general meeting yesterday approved plans to undertake the review, and to replace the CEO with an executive committee. The meeting was told that McNeice is asking the IMO to cover a €10,000 health insurance policy.
8. #WHISTLEBLOWER: The Garda who blew the whistle on the alleged inappropriate removal of penalty points by senior Gardaí is to quit the force. The Sunday Times’ Justine McCarthy quotes a letter written by the resigning officer, who says his position has become untenable since he was stopped from accessing the Garda ‘Pulse’ computer system – and where he openly worries about being able to get another job.
9. #GROUNDHOG DAY: The famous groundhog whose activities are thought to predict local weather is set to be charged with fraud. Prosecutors in Ohio are so peeved with the poor weather that they’re taking out mock charges against Punxsutawney Phil, whose actions on February 2 are taken as an indicator of the weather that spring. Reuters jokes that the prosecutors could drop charges against Buckeye Chuck, another groundhog elsewhere in the state, if he offers to testify against Phil.
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