Five things you need to know today

1. Cost of each extra hospital bed is €325,000, report finds
It costs about €325,000 in construction and capital costs alone nowadays to provide an additional hospital bed.
That's according to a confidential submission drawn up by the Department of Health for the new Oireachtas committee looking at the future of the health service.

It says that “based on current tender returns and space standards, the construction costs of a replacement hospital bed is in the region of €325,000, not including equipping costs”.

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2. Juncker says tax ruling on Apple made without bias
European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker has defended the EU's finding against Apple as a "landmark ruling" that was made "without discrimination and without bias" in his first public comments on the case.

"Our rules on state aid have always been clear," he said at the G20 summit in China. "National authorities cannot give tax benefits to some companies and not to others. This is the level playing field that the commission is always working to defend. We apply these rules without discrimination and without bias."

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3. Sugar tax set to be introduced in budget due to obesity concerns
Minister for Finance Michael Noonan is to announce a sugar tax in next month's budget but may delay the implementation of the levy for a year until 2018.

Senior sources in Government have said they expect Mr Noonan will make good on the commitment in the Programme for Government to introduce a new tax on sugar-sweetened drinks.

Ireland has one of the worst records in the EU in recent years in tackling the issue of higher numbers of overweight adults and children.

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4. Dublin city has its best ever showing in the latest Irish Business Against Litter survey
Dublin city had its "best ever showing" in the latest Irish Business Against Litter (Ibal) national litter survey due to the 1916 centenary clean-up operation, while Farranree in Cork was Ireland's litter blackspot.

The country's main cities had contrasting fortunes in the first-round results from the survey for 2016 with Galway drawing censure for its moderately littered status, while Kilkenny was given the title of Ireland's cleanest town or city with Waterford not far behind.

Particular praise was reserved for Dublin city centre which was considered to be clean to European norms for the first time since the rankings began.

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5. Angela Merkel's CDU suffers defeat in vote in her home state
A nationalist, anti-immigration party performed strongly in a state election in the region where German Chancellor Angela Merkel has her political base, overtaking her conservatives to take second place.

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And finally: As Tipperary take home the Liam McCarthy cup following their win over Kilkenny in Sunday's All-Ireland hurling final, Malachy Clerkin writes how, for once, Brian Cody's side has no reply to the relentless shooting and workrate of the new champions.
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With revellers returning from Electric Picnic today, we look back at the best bits from the weekend including the best bands, brightest stars, choicest cuts and favourite happenings.
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