UK & Ireland
Irish officials hint at COVID-19 restrictions end date
Irish officials signalled the potential end points for the COVID-19 restrictions currently in place on Tuesday, with Tánaiste Leo Varadkar voicing hope that almost all limits could be lifted by the end of March. A range of restrictions remain in...
Asylum out of Africa
Ghana has publicly dismissed reports that it is talking with the UK government to agree to outsource UK asylum applications to the West African country. In a statement on Tuesday, Ghana’s foreign ministry said: “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and...
British trade with Ireland slumps following Brexit
Goods exports from Great Britain to Ireland have dropped by 20% since the United Kingdom left the single market, according to data published on Monday by Ireland’s Central Statistics Office.
Irish FM orders investigation of ‘Johnson-like’ government lockdown party
Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney has initiated an inquiry into a gathering held by officials from his department in June 2020 while the country was in lockdown. Controversy has been mounting over the event held in celebration of Ireland winning...
Irish government pledges ‘zero-tolerance’ to gender violence after woman’s murder
Ireland’s Justice Minister has promised a zero-tolerance approach to gender violence following the murder of 23-year-old teacher Ashling Murphy last week. Murphy was attacked while out running in the afternoon on 12 January; police are still searching for her killer....
Ireland to establish new online watchdog
Dublin is looking to implement new online safety measures under legislation put forward this week that will oversee streaming platforms and broadcasters. The Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill will initiate the process of creating an online safety watchdog to...
Intelligence service issues alert over Chinese spy targeting lawmakers
The UK intelligence services have issued an alert that a Chinese agent has been donating large sums of money to UK politicians before then attempting to build relationships between them and senior members of the Chinese Communist Party. In the...
Ireland to allow adopted people automatic access to birth records
Ireland will grant adopted people automatic access to their original birth certificates and the identities of their birth parents under a new law published on Wednesday. The Birth Information and Tracing Bill will, for the first time, give people over...
UK Foreign Secretary Truss rolls out the red carpet for commission official
European Commission Vice President Maroš Šefčovič will be wined and dined on Thursday evening with Scottish smoked salmon, Welsh lamb and Kent apple pie, when he meets Foreign Secretary Liz Truss at her official country residence for two days of...
Two-third of Britons demand Johnson’s resignation over new lockdown party
An increasingly beleaguered Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing mounting calls for his resignation following allegations that he and his wife attended a social drinks gathering with dozens of people in the garden of his Downing Street residence during the...
Irish PM: Vaccines to remain voluntary
Mandatory vaccinations will not be introduced in Ireland, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said after news broke on Tuesday that the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) would consider the possibility. Minutes of a December NPHET meeting revealed that the group was set...
Ireland mulls mandatory vaccinations
Ireland’s National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) will consider introducing a vaccine mandate following the release of an upcoming paper by the Department of Health on the issue’s complexities. According to newly released minutes from a meeting of the group...
UK banned Huawei because US told us to: former minister
The UK government’s decision to ban Huawei 5G equipment and services “had nothing to do with national security,” and was because of American pressure, a former business and industry minister has said. Speaking at an event on Monday, Vince Cable,...
Ireland offers vaccines to all children aged 5-11
Ireland on Sunday began offering COVID-19 vaccinations to all children in the 5-11 years age group. Vaccines had already been rolled out to children with underlying health conditions and those living with people particularly vulnerable to the virus, but appointments...
UK resumes sabre rattling with EU, threatens to suspend NI protocol
Brexit minister Liz Truss on Sunday (9 January) resumed the UK government’s sabre rattling with Brussels, warning that she was prepared to suspend the Northern Ireland protocol, and potentially collapse the UK’s trade pact with the EU.
Many Omicron cases not included in Ireland’s official COVID-19 figures
Tens of thousands of cases of the Omicron variant have not been officially recorded since the start of December, the government has been told, meaning the actual case count in Ireland is likely much higher than previously thought. Officials were...
Colston Four acquitted after pulling down slave trader statue
Four protestors who pulled down the statue of a slave trader during a Black Lives Matter protest were on Thursday acquitted of causing criminal damage in what could be a landmark legal case. The memorial to the 17th century slave trader...
Test no longer required for vaccinated travellers entering Ireland
Vaccinated travellers will no longer be required to present a negative COVID-19 test before arriving in Ireland under new rules agreed by the cabinet on Tuesday. The decision comes as part of a package of new travel guidelines expected to...
Borders staff threaten strike over Channel ‘pushbacks’
UK Border Force staff could go on strike over the government’s “morally reprehensible” plans to turn back dinghies carrying migrants crossing the Channel, a leading trade union warned on Wednesday. The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), whose members include...
Irish president calls for EU leaders to support global vaccine coverage
Irish President Michael D. Higgins has written to the 14 other members of the Arraiolos Group, urging support for waiving COVID-19 vaccine patents and increasing the rollout of vaccinations globally. In a letter to the group, comprised of the non-executive...
Irish universities promise to grant paid leave to domestic abuse victims
Several Irish universities have committed to introducing a paid leave policy for staff facing domestic abuse this year. Following a request from Further Education Minister Simon Harris, Trinity College, University College Dublin, University College Cork, and Dublin City University have...
Irish recognised as official EU language
The first day of 2022 was marked by the addition of Irish to the roster of the 23 official EU languages, a development described by the Minister for the Irish speaking Gaeltacht areas and sport as “a crucial step in...
Irish government expands pandemic business supports
Dublin has announced a series of updates to the pandemic support schemes available, as businesses face continuing restrictions amid the surge of the Omicron variant. New rules were brought in on Monday, including an 8 pm-close for bars and restaurants....