Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

The 9 at 9 Every morning, TheJournal.ie brings you the nine things you need to know as you start your day.

BREW THE COFFEE, pour the tea – and catch up with the world with nine stories you really should check out before 9am.

1.#AIR SAFETY: An Oireachtas committee is to hear pilots’ concerns today about the level of fatigue among commercial pilots. Meanwhile, the Irish Independent’s Ralph Riegel claims that survivors and families of those killed in the Cork airport crash of a Manx2 flight last year are to launch lawsuits in the autumn.

2. #NO CREDIT: Banks have been criticised in a report from the Credit Review Office today for not doing more to extend credit to entrepreneurs and businesses trying to take a reasonable risk in the market.

3. #IMMIGRATION: The immigrant population in Ireland has been dealt a particularly bad hand by the downturn according to a report from the Integration Sector. RTÉ has picked out a particularly sobering fact – employment among immigrants in Ireland fell by 40 per cent in three years, compared to a 10 per cent drop for Irish nationals.

4. #PREFABS OUT: Farewell to the prefab? Just over 90 schools have had funding approved to have their flimsy prefabs replaced with permanent classrooms. There’s more to be done though – the Department of Education has allocated €29.3m for prefab rental for this year.

5. #FAITH: An Ipsos/MRBI poll carried in the Irish Times this morning has some interesting stats about modern Ireland’s participation in the Catholic Church. Some random ones: Two out of five Catholics don’t attend Mass, and if you vote Fianna Fáil, you are most likely to identify yourself as a Catholic.

6. #EUROBONDS: TheJournal.ie reported yesterday that German Chancellor Angela Merkel is not interested in pooling eurozone debt under eurobonds. She is, however, open to the idea of setting up a pan-European banking authority to guarantee banking stability, according to the AP.

7. #JOBSWATCH: Staff at Bord na Móna are carrying out a one-day strike today. They are protesting the introduction of “performance-related elements” into their pay structure. Pfizer staff in Cork might also have gotten a rude awakening this morning – Stephen Rogers on the front page of the Irish Examiner claims that 180 jobs are to go there in the near future.

8. #NORWAY: A photograph taken at the trial of Anders Breivik apparently shows one of the judges, Ernst Henning Eielsen, playing solitaire on a computer while evidence was bring heard. Breivik is accused of killing 77 people in a twin attack in Norway last year.

9. #ROM COM: US President Barack Obama made a gaffe at a fundraiser last night, referring to his Republican presidential race rival Mitt Romney as “George Romney”. George is Mitt’s dad and some commentators have been suggesting the slip-up might have been less than accidental…

  • The MTV Movie awards always fancies itself a bit of a joker. Irish actor Michael Fassbender certainly played along as his fellow Prometheus star Charlize Theron took him down for referring to her as a girl. Not sure how this would have gone down had the role play been reversed…

(MTV Movie Awards/Youtube.com)

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
3 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Chris
    Favourite Chris
    Report
    Aug 1st 2023, 3:20 PM

    Some of my antisocial neighbours (well, their kids to be honest) who live in council houses had their homes retrofitted last year on my street. Meanwhile, on a medium income I can’t afford the scheme, even after the grant, still 5-8 k to be paid. I can afford maybe 1.5 k maximum. In other countries you can pay in installments or depending of your income, you won’t pay a dime. Yes, in other EU countries but it seems in Ireland you won’t pay a dime only if you are a scourge to society.

    395
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Fiona Wyse
    Favourite Fiona Wyse
    Report
    Aug 1st 2023, 3:25 PM

    @Chris: And that’s why I refuse to buy into this farce. Our tax is paying for theirs and we can’t even afford it ourselves!

    278
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute calum Tierney
    Favourite calum Tierney
    Report
    Aug 1st 2023, 3:54 PM

    @Chris: Top Work Eamon – super achiever – 35%, Rural renovation grant less than 5% – you are so worth every penny we spend on you. Just to point out – you announced a plan for 1200 homes at Dublin port – but a few years earlier you produced a map of Dublin showing that area underwater due to rising seas now you want to biuld houses there, pull the other one. You’re an intellectual colossus.

    205
    See 3 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Laura H
    Favourite Laura H
    Report
    Aug 1st 2023, 7:38 PM

    @Chris: I wish it were only 5-8k..I have a standard semi-d, was talking to a guy from SEAI about the whole retrofit – doors, windows, external insulation, heat pump…17-20k..

    26
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paddy C
    Favourite Paddy C
    Report
    Aug 1st 2023, 11:31 PM

    @Chris: they’re a role model to me now,the incentive to work and buy a home is quickly deminishing waste of time paying a mortgage and under pressure saving to make it greener may aswel be hammering a concrete wall with a rubber hammer, at nothing

    10
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute IMHO
    Favourite IMHO
    Report
    Aug 2nd 2023, 1:04 AM

    @Chris: Absolutely spot on. All the new corporation houses have to meet a GradeA classification ; so the benefits brigade get to reap all the comforts and financial benefits of an eco -friendly home whilst contributing nothing. Were things the other way round, all our lefty politicians would be screaming discrimination .

    20
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Washpenrebel
    Favourite Washpenrebel
    Report
    Aug 1st 2023, 3:18 PM

    We have the most expensive electricity in the EU. If he really wanted to reduce carbon emissions then electricity must have cheaper electricity. If its cheaper to burn oil or gas then people will not switch to air to water. This guy is asleep at the wheel and really should be removed from his position. If you can’t do the job get out of the chair. People are gonna die of the cold this winter if it doesn’t radically change.

    262
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Washpenrebel
    Favourite Washpenrebel
    Report
    Aug 1st 2023, 3:20 PM

    @Washpenrebel: 15cent per kW in Spain 45cent per kW in Ireland…

    232
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mark Conlan
    Favourite Mark Conlan
    Report
    Aug 1st 2023, 3:13 PM

    I fear I will only be able to afford to retrofit my window box the longer this farce continues.

    188
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute patrick kelly
    Favourite patrick kelly
    Report
    Aug 1st 2023, 3:38 PM

    Another government policy fails.. What a surprise!

    165
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute TheGood Feign
    Favourite TheGood Feign
    Report
    Aug 1st 2023, 4:15 PM

    I’ve had first hand experience of this, I’m speaking of personal experience, was getting rénovations and decided may as well get the retrofit. The grants. Every SEAI certified fitter quoted me 6-8k more than the non-certified who would fit the same stuff. Where’s the grant going but to just pad the pockets of those certified if it can be done for almost the exact same amount less without the grant! The govt taken for fools here. Taxpayers cheated. Joke of a system.

    242
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Laura H
    Favourite Laura H
    Report
    Aug 1st 2023, 10:10 PM

    @TheGood Feign: But what about all the grants included – are you telling me that I’ll be able to get my new doors, windows, external insulation and heat pump for 17-20k?..somehow I don’t think so so I’m not going down the route of doing it bit by bit, will do it all in when I can, the grants amount to approx 30k so only option for me – they could improve on the contractors, totally agree they’re being played with them plus the SEAI should also offer loans in order to do the retrofits at a low interest rate to homeowners in order to carry out the works.

    9
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute The ghost of Ireland's past
    Favourite The ghost of Ireland's past
    Report
    Aug 1st 2023, 4:33 PM

    We have the most expensive electricity in the world. Triple what Ukraine’s closest EU neighbours pay. Our government owns 97% of electric Ireland, Irish people are being spectacularly fooled and don’t seem to care. It’s fascinating for other countries to watch, the fighting Irish, haha sure. Greed is the new Ireland, the greediest country on earth

    193
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute john dennehy
    Favourite john dennehy
    Report
    Aug 1st 2023, 4:02 PM

    Their great at announcing policies for a bit of PR, but very bad at implementing any of them, all fur coat and no knickers as Leo once said.

    101
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute kkjLtYn1
    Favourite kkjLtYn1
    Report
    Aug 1st 2023, 3:27 PM

    Shocking delay. We need to set up a public enquiry and convene a citizens forum to get to the bottom of this….

    90
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jp Cleary
    Favourite Jp Cleary
    Report
    Aug 1st 2023, 3:45 PM

    Far from satisfactory…… is that the new ‘ unacceptable ‘……

    89
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Chris O'Brien
    Favourite Chris O'Brien
    Report
    Aug 1st 2023, 5:17 PM

    And handout to the rich.

    And the terms are ODIOUS.

    This isn’t helping the majority. Instead it’s helping rich homeowners with thousands in savings.

    And helping them what?

    Lower their energy bills.

    What about the rest of us?

    Well, we just have to pretend that we have access to public transport so the Irish Green Party fanatics that have never once stepped a foot outside of Dublin won’t lecture us.

    Time to ditch Ireland’s Greenwashing Party and send Ryan back to his South Dublin mansion.

    84
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dan Dare
    Favourite Dan Dare
    Report
    Aug 1st 2023, 4:58 PM

    Was he awake when he said this? Or was it a dream?

    62
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Yoly Macaraeg
    Favourite Yoly Macaraeg
    Report
    Aug 1st 2023, 3:16 PM

    After the next election retrofitting will be a thing of the past when Sinn Fein/ira are I’m power.

    42
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Derek Lyster
    Favourite Derek Lyster
    Report
    Aug 1st 2023, 5:46 PM

    Is anyone really surprised

    30
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Pato
    Favourite Pato
    Report
    Aug 1st 2023, 4:34 PM

    All initiatives, however well intentioned, gets ground out of use by our public “servants”.

    30
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John Meade
    Favourite John Meade
    Report
    Aug 1st 2023, 5:38 PM

    So is he taking the blame here, it’s pn his watch

    26
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Liam Foy
    Favourite Liam Foy
    Report
    Aug 1st 2023, 9:50 PM

    I wonder who the fool is , the citizen paying carbon taxes since 2010 that has not received one free solar panel and storage battery or the politician who taking this tax under the pretence it’s to save our burning planet using this tax for other things.

    Everyone who own a home thirteen years later should have got some free renewable on their property. But what do we have banks offering green loans.

    It’s a big crafty joke Irelands effort taxing us to save the planet. America, china, Japan , all big polluters who don’t pay any carbon tax.

    45
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jacinta Sheekey
    Favourite Jacinta Sheekey
    Report
    Aug 2nd 2023, 8:11 AM

    We applied via the one shop mechanism and paid for the energy rating report. Every existing piece of works done to date was ignored. Cost of works to be done came in at 50k, after grants of 8k. Fees for the one stop shop admin would have been 4k. We don’t have 54k to regenerate a mid terrace house built in 1914. The grant scheme is a joke unless you are rich enough to pay for the work or lucky enough to to pay nothing because the rest of us will pay the inflated costs for your works in all the taxes, income tax, usc, house tax, and levies. Nothing left to save to pay for works as esb and gas hikes wipe out any such possibility.

    22
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Liam Foy
    Favourite Liam Foy
    Report
    Aug 2nd 2023, 10:20 AM

    @Jacinta Sheekey: keep emailing government for a free solar panel and battery. You have paid for this in carbon taxes every time you took the bus, drove a car, took a train, switched the gas on…since 2010. If more people ask we get this solar panel and battery.
    It’s a start and once set up it’s cheaper to add a free solar panel the following years. That’s how renewables save or burning planet.

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Frank Heffernan
    Favourite Frank Heffernan
    Report
    Aug 1st 2023, 4:47 PM

    10k per house. Chicken feed.

    20
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute paulgurney
    Favourite paulgurney
    Report
    Aug 2nd 2023, 10:33 AM

    Another “scheme” where to qualify you must be over 90 years of age, both grandparents still living and able to speak Klingon fluently..Simple really and it allows Waffler O Brien and Waffler Ryan another minute of “what We’ve Done” radio time

    8
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute F Fitzgerald
    Favourite F Fitzgerald
    Report
    Aug 2nd 2023, 11:33 AM

    It really does seem as if they’re waiting for people to become homeless before helping to insulate homes.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jippo Nolan
    Favourite Jippo Nolan
    Report
    Aug 1st 2023, 11:03 PM

    Maybe the bould Eamo can don a hazmat suit & give a dig out!

    4
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds