Latest news with #Republic of Ireland
BBC News
3 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
National Development Plan: Can Ireland deliver on €112bn schemes?
It is a mark of the Republic of Ireland's recent economic performance that listeners to a popular politics podcast had to be reassured this week they will not face a "hair shirt" budget in the an economic context "hair shirt" tends to mean punitive austerity policies which make citizens uncomfortable and was in the wake of Ireland's pre-budget report which pointed to a 6.5% increase in core public spending, a tax cut for hospitality businesses and a €112bn (£98bn) package of infrastructure most European finance ministers those numbers would be closer to a silk shirt than a hair podcasters perhaps felt they had to give a reassurance as the budget will not deliver quite as much to household finances as it has in recent years. Big cash injection for housing For example a €250 universal energy credit introduced during the worst of the cost of living crisis will not be the run up to October's budget is expected to be dominated by a drip feed of announcements on the specific projects which will flow from that huge infrastructure fund, known as the National Development government is able to spend this money because Ireland's long-held policy of low corporation tax has come good in spectacular fashion, delivering a huge windfall from US firms who pay their global taxes in the is money which desperately needs to be spent because Ireland's basic infrastructure is example, a chronic failure to build enough housing is contributing to economic and social problems, such as tensions around infrastructure backlog has built up because public and private investment collapsed during Ireland's years of financial crisis and firms across construction and development failed during that period and the workforce shrank as the economy recovered rapidly and the population grew there wasn't the capacity to provide the investment which was National Development Plan (NDP) is an attempt to remedy this as quickly as the biggest allocation is for housing which will get €36bn between 2026 and 2030. The next biggest chunk is for transport, which gets €22bn. Of that, €2bn is supposed to be used to start work on a long-planned underground Metro rail line from Dublin city centre to the airport and northern experience of the Dublin Metro can help explain some of the scepticism around the Metro has been planned since 2000 but not a centimetre of track has been current planning application has been under consideration for more than 1,000 days and the man leading the project has conceded it is likely to face more legal is also the continuing saga of the new National Children's Hospital in Dublin which has missed 15 completion dates and is almost €1bn over government has attempted to show people that the state does have the capacity to section of the NDP is a list of recent projects across education, health, roads and broadband which have been built without much section lists the reforms to procurement and planning which should reduce delays, such as changes to judicial review there is a more fundamental issue: who will do the actual construction work required to turn the €112bn into houses, roads and sewers?The most recent figures suggest there are around 177,000 active construction workers in Ireland, the highest number in a an analysis by the Department for Further and Higher Education estimates that another 80,000 workers will have to be found to meet the government's targets on housing, let alone other those additional workers at a time when the Irish economy is at close to full employment will be a challenge in itself.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Vital charity could be forced to close branch in Bournemouth
A VITAL charity could be forced to close in Bournemouth after the organisation has said its current business model is 'not sustainable'. Samaritans is consulting with branches and will be closing around 100 of its more than 200 locations across the UK and Republic of Ireland as early as April next year. The UK-based charity that provides confidential, emotional support to anyone struggling to cope, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, insisted its volunteers will continue to be available as usual. The Bournemouth branch has been open since 1961 and was the sixth branch to open outside of Central London. In 2024, volunteers in Bournemouth responded to more than 18,000 calls and around 7,000 emails. The charity's chief executive Julie Bentley said: 'We are engaging with our volunteers on proposed improvements that will mean we are able to answer more calls, have more volunteers on duty, and be there for more people in their darkest moments." She added it had "become increasingly clear" having over 200 branches is "not sustainable" and is preventing the charity from providing the best possible service. If you are struggling, you can call Samaritans for free on 116 123, email them at jo@ or visit to find your nearest branch.
BBC News
23-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Bognor Regis woman mistakes tumour symptoms for perimenopause
A woman who mistook symptoms of a brain tumour for perimenopause is raising money to fund Hitchman, from Bognor Regis, West Sussex, had been struggling with headaches, jaw pain, fatigue, anxiety and double vision and said doctors thought the symptoms were due to a tube in her ear being blocked or not opening was only during a trip to the Republic of Ireland in April that a CT scan revealed a 5cm (1.97ins) meningioma on her Hitchman, who is doing 88 squats a day for Brain Tumour Research, said: "It was a horrendous time, but now I have a second chance to move forward, create a new normal, and raise awareness so others don't face the same uncertainty I did." The special educational needs coordinator at Eastergate Church of England Primary School was taken to St Richard's Hospital in Chichester and then General Hospital, where the tumour was removed."I honestly thought I was experiencing anxiety from perimenopause, even the dentist thought I was just grinding my teeth when I had jaw pain," the 43-year-old said."I had no idea it was something so serious. I left home for Easter and returned to someone else's horror story."Ms Hitchman has raised more than £800 for the charity by doing 88 squats every day in July. The total number of squats completed by the end of the month will represent the the cost of more than £2,700 to fund a single day of research at one of the charity's centres of excellence."We need more research, more support, and more hope," Ms Hitchman said.
Irish Times
16-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Political opposition hinders electricity projects
Political opposition continues to hinder projects designed to guarantee electricity supplies and aid the Republic in hitting climate targets, TDs and senators heard on Wednesday. Noel Cunniffe, chief executive of industry group, Wind Energy Ireland, told the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy, that Eirgrid's north-south interconnector, which has cleared all planning hurdles, continued to face opposition. 'There is a general consensus that investment in national grid projects is good, but when it comes to local level, that gets challenged,' he said. Mr Cunniffe pointed out that both Dáil deputies and councillors tended to oppose electricity projects at local level. READ MORE Justin Moran, the organisation's director of external affairs, argued that 'opposition to grid projects is not a victimless crime'. He was responding to committee members who raised this week's news that families cannot move into new homes in Portlaoise, Co Laois, because their estate does not have electricity connections. [ Electricity squeeze hits grid projects Opens in new window ] Mr Moran pointed out that while EirGrid received permission for plans to boost the national electricity grid supplying Laois and Kilkenny in 2014, continued opposition meant that work was only under way now. Nicholas Tarrant, managing director, ESB Networks, said 'there are places on the network where there is limited capacity, and we are working on that'. They include Portlaoise, other similar towns along with areas such as Dublin north and west, according to the State company boss. Regulators are weighing proposals to allow ESB Networks to spend €11.6 billion up to 2030 on boosting the systems that supply electricity to homes and businesses.
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
McGrath keen to build on 'dream start' with Hibs
Jamie McGrath says he got off to "a dream start" by scoring the first goal for Hibernian in their friendly win against Rot-Weiss Essen. The Republic of Ireland international made his mark inside two minutes against the third-tier German side, tapping in from close range after visiting goalkeeper Jakob Golz saved his initial shot. Advertisement Goals from Junior Hoilett and Martin Boyle secured a 3-2 win for David Gray's side. "It was a good game, it was a good workout," McGrath told HibsTV. "I think at this stage of the season that is the main thing. "We all got stuff out of it and we had some good moments as well, but a lot to improve on." Midfielder McGrath, 28, who joined this summer on a four-year deal from Aberdeen admits he is still "learning" the ropes at Hibs. "Still learning how the gaffer and how the lads play but a really enjoyable night at Easter Road in front of the crowd," he added. Advertisement "It kind of felt like a European game, it didn't feel like a friendly at all so a really positive experience. "It was probably a dream start, the first touch, I should have scored and then I scored with the rebound. "Millsy (Lewis Miller) done really well down the wing and put in a lovely ball. "He was raging that he didn't get the assist because I missed the first one but a great start."
