The Health Minister says new minimum pricing for alcohol aim to reduce serious illness and death from drinking.
The laws, which come into effect today, mean a standard bottle of wine cannot now be sold for less than 7 euro 40, and a can of beer for less than 1 euro 70.
Alcohol Action Ireland CEO, Sheila Gilheaney says it’s aimed at problem-drinkers:
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The Western Health and Social Care Trust is currently under severe pressure due to staff shortages.
The Trust has issued an urgent appeal for staff as services at Altnagelvin and South West Acute Hospitals remain extremely challenged.
They say maintaining bed capacity across all hospital settings is crucial.
The urgent appeal is for any staff, registered or unregistered, particularly staff nurses of all bands, nursing and care assistants, support services staff and housekeepers based anywhere across the Trust who are free to assist.
The Weather looks set to turn colder over the coming days.
Met Eireann says today’s likely to mark the end of a mild spell where temperatures were above normal for this time of year.
Forecaster Matthew Martin says a notable change is on the way:
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An 18 year-old man has drowned off Arranmore island.
The teenager was swimming with his friend when he got into difficulty along the pier.
Gardai say he was taken out to sea due to a big swell.
An RNLI boat went out to take him to shore, he received medical treatment at the scene but couldn’t be revived.
His body has since been taken to Letterkenny University Hospital, where a postmortem will be carried out.
Additional funding has been announced for an extension to the Waterside Greenway in Derry.
Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Alderman Graham Warke says the Strathfoyle Greenway will be a demonstration of how this kind of infrastructure can be built with people, biodiversity and climate change at its heart.
An additional £400,000 of funding has been announced for the Strathfoyle Greenway Project, as an extension to the popular Waterside Greenway.
The link is designed to connect Stradowen in Strathfoyle to Derry City centre, as well as the wider Derry City Greenway network, and will add 2.7km of greenway for cycling and walking.
The total funding for the greenway has now reached £2.64 million, with construction to get underway early in 2022. It’s expected the project will be completed by the end of the year.
Figures published today by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation show that over 70,000 patients had to wait on a bed in Irish hospitals in 2021 – with 5,778 of those at Letterkenny University Hospital.
Letterkenny University Hospital was the third most overcrowded hospital in the state last year, only behind Limerick and Cork University Hospitals.
According to the INMO, in December alone 988 patients at Letterkenny University Hospital had to wait on a bed, as the hospital faced staff shortages and a Covid outbreak.
Hospitals are both understaffed and extremely busy, with many staff isolating due to Covid-19.
That’s according to INMO General Secretary, Phil Ni Sheagdha, who says the trend of so many people waiting on trolleys was “extraordinarily dangerous”:
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Education officials, union representatives and management bodies will meet today to discuss the reopening of schools.
The Association of Secondary Teachers say it’s deeply concerned the Education Minister’s going ahead with Thursday’s reopening without putting additional Covid safety measures in place.
The teachers union’s calling for staggered re-opening dates at at time when many staff are isolating.
Sinn Fein spokesperson on Education, Donnchadh O’Laoghaire, says if proper investment was made prior to Christmas in schools, the current crisis might not exist:
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Coalition leaders are to meet later to assess the current Covid situation.
A shortening of the isolation period for close contacts is expected to be among the measures considered.
It comes as the country battles record infection rates and rising hospital admissions due to Omicron.
16,986 new Covid cases were confirmed yesterday, while 804 people are in hospital with the virus, including 93 in ICU.
Buncrana has secured a top ten place in the latest Irish Business Against Litter survey.
The town has risen 11 places to be named 10th cleanest town in Ireland.
Eight out of ten sites surveyed in Buncrana received the top litter grade.
According to the An Taisce report, these included Buncrana Library, Castle Avenue and St. Mary’s Oratory.
The body says the Bring Centre, Super Valu was very much deserving of the top litter grade with a notable improvement at the site.
By far the most heavily littered site was said to be the Laneway in Ardaravan Square (Dr Denis McLaughlin Road).
Naas has been crowned Ireland’s cleanest town for 2021.
The latest IBAL survey shows litter levels have risen slightly across the country, with cities again faring badly.
An 18 year-old man has died after getting in to difficulty while swimming off Arranmore Island
Gardai say the young man got into difficulty in the water at Leadbh Gharbh shortly before 3pm.
The local RNLI crew and other emergency services responded to the scene and were able to recover the man from the water.
He received treatment at the scene, but was later pronounced dead.
The body of the man will be taken to Letterkenny University Hospital for a post-mortem at a later date.
Currently Gardai are treating this as a tragic incident.
