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John Downing Opinion EU states’ ‘vax wars’ are heating up as spread of Omicron raises the stakes

Strange as it may seem, some European countries are offering a ball of money to people as an incentive to take the Covid-19 vaccination.

School management boards who are administering public health policy ‘will be legally protected’ says Taoiseach amid school masks debate

The Taoiseach has insisted that the wearing of masks in primary schools will work out in a short period of time.

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John Downing Opinion This mica tale of woe has the hallmarks of a real-life morality play with so many lessons

You would not wish this one on your worst enemy. Anyone who has struggled to get those hall door keys, all the time hoping the mortgage can be paid, would find a resultant crumbling house to be a total nightmare.

Government signs off on €420,000 grant cap for Mica redress scheme as Opposition TDs claim €45,000 ‘shortfall’

Cabinet ministers have signed off on a €420,000 cap on a revised mica scheme.

‘In-built unfairness’ that parents can go out but kids may have to restrict social activity – Ombudsman

The Children’s Ombudsman has said that any restrictions placed on children should be “proportionate” and “time sensitive” as he said it was clear Covid was now leaving a mark on the psyche of children.

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John Downing Opinion As Greens mark 40 years as a party, they can aim to do far more than just survive

The Greens turn 40 on Friday. Yes, precisely 40 years ago, on December 4, 1981, what quickly became An Comhaontas Glas, or Ireland’s Green Party, was founded by an idealistic English-born schoolteacher called Christopher Fettes, who had been contemplating this project for the previous 10 years.

Playdate or panto: now ministers shift burden of Covid controls to parents

Parents are to be asked to limit their children’s social interactions outside of school to one event per week, under proposals to be considered by Cabinet tomorrow.

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John Downing Opinion Get to know the new Berlin government, it will have a big impact on us all

Sometimes stereotypes do not stand too much scrutiny, and the new German government for a post-Angela Merkel era, which will take office on December 6, is a good example of this.

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John Downing Opinion Low-key Welsh leader Drakeford proving a good neighbour to us amid dangers of Brexit

He has been tartly described as “more post office than box office”, or more kindly as “not charismatic but very decent”. Chances are you may struggle to remember who Mark Drakeford actually is.

Brexit negotiations to end deadlock over North’s special trade status gather pace

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has urged the UK and EU to “turn the corner” and fix the damage done to relations in rows over Brexit.

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John Downing Opinion Santa’s little helper is at the heart of a major racism storm in Netherlands

Strange to think of Santa Claus being a focal point for racial tension, but that is a reality in the Netherlands and some Dutch-speaking parts of Belgium.

Latest Brexit talks show ‘momentum’ in efforts to end deadlock over the North’s special trade status

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has urged the UK and EU to "turn the corner" and fix the damage done to relations in rows over Brexit.

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John Downing Opinion Most EU states are tightening up but also working hard to avoid one more lockdown

Back in the mists of time, in the run-in to a major event, the Raidió Éireann newswriters would dust down a favourite cliché to impress the nation: “All garda leave has been cancelled!”

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John Downing Opinion Even Chalk and Cheese believe McDonald is no shoo in for power – but polls don’t lie

Even if you only do politics at a glance, you would have to agree that Simon Coveney and Alan Kelly are political chalk and cheese.

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John Downing Opinion One in three German speakers tempted to say ‘nein danke’ to the vaccine

The mysteries of learning a language – including the one you speak every day – never cease to amaze.

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NI Protocol issue is a complex mess, but here’s all you need to know

UK Brexit minister David Frost is threatening to suspend Northern Ireland’s special trade status created to avoid a return of the north-south Border. It’s a complex mess – but here we quickly explain all you need to know .

Taoiseach warns situation around Northern Ireland Protocol is ‘volatile’ but progress made on finding resolution

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has warned the situation surrounding the Northern Ireland Protocol is "volatile" but signalled that progress on finding a resolution has been made today.

Seán FitzPatrick obituary: The banking star who plunged back to earth during economic crash

SEÁN FitzPatrick, the former chairman of Anglo Irish Bank, was taken to hospital late last week after taking ill suddenly at home. He lost his battle for life yesterday.

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John Downing Opinion Strap in for a possible trade war as Boris Johnson’s latest game of chicken puts everyone in a flap

Boris Johnson has a habit of “playing chicken” with the European Union over Brexit. It boosts him in the home base and that may be enough of itself to justify it.

Immense courage was the hallmark of Austin Currie

THE hallmark of Austin Currie’s career in Northern Ireland was immense courage, and a fierce belief in constitutional politics, rather than paramilitary violence to drive change.

Seán FitzPatrick: The controversial Anglo Irish banker emblematic of Celtic Tiger Ireland has died aged 73

Seán FitzPatrick, the former chairman of Anglo Irish Bank, has died.

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John Downing Opinion A fictional climate apocalypse that reminds us to make sure it must never become fact

It seems like “every dog and divil” is over there in Glasgow at the “apocolympics” competing with each other in apocalyptic prophesies about the globe self-combusting by Tuesday week.

Non-frontline HSE staff who jumped vaccine queue will now get booster jab offer

Non-frontline healthcare workers who jumped the queue for vaccines will be offered booster jabs as the latest phase of vaccinations begins.

Now he will go to the climate ball – HSE defends giving second Covid test to Eamon Ryan

Eamon Ryan is going to the COP26 climate change summit in Glasgow today after all.

Mairead McGuinness urged to reclassify nuclear power as possible ‘green’ solution for EU

Ireland’s EU Commissioner Mairead McGuinness is under pressure to reclassify nuclear power as “green energy”, giving it a central role in the battle against global warming and easing Europe’s energy crisis.

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John Downing Opinion Time has come to talk about likely ‘nuclear options’ for Irish energy

The posh word is “taxonomy” and you will very probably hear it thrown about in the coming weeks. A squint in the dictionary tells you it comes from biology and began as classification systems for plants.

More EU-UK Brexit talks on the North next week, but fears of all-out trade war grow

EU Brexit negotiator Maros Sefcovic has warned Britain that suspending Northern Ireland’s special trade deal would have “serious consequences”.

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John Downing Opinion Belgium’s dark colonial past returns to haunt it via compensation claims

Brussels is a city of many hidden delights which includes what is nowadays called the “Africa Museum” in the grounds of a royal palace, close to the pretty village of Tervuren. The short trip out of the city centre is best done on the tramline which cuts through the most splendid mature woodlands.

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John Downing Opinion Our leaders know what they must do – but can they be re-elected after it?

Big talk, huge plans and much grief for ordinary citizens. But, bearing in mind these government leaders want to get re-elected, ideally in little over three years’ time, what benefits are in this package for us?

Brexit talks on protocol resume today as street violence continues in North

Brexit talks about the disputed special trade status for Northern Ireland resume in Brussels today as instances of street violence persist in the North.