IrelandMorning Briefing

Your top stories on Thursday: All parties need to make ‘Irish unity pledge’; €1.4m cost of Leinster House security hut is ‘ridiculous’

Here are the stories you need to start your day including a first look at the Tolka Estuary Greenway around Dublin Bay and extra CCTV planned for parts of Dublin

Students Sorcha Byrne (left) and Sofia Held, St David's Holy Faith, Greystones trying out Buzz at the Portobello Institute stand at The Irish Times, Higher Options in the RDS, Ballsbridge, Dublin yesterday. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill / The Irish Times
Students Sorcha Byrne (left) and Sofia Held, St David's Holy Faith, Greystones trying out Buzz at the Portobello Institute stand at The Irish Times, Higher Options in the RDS, Ballsbridge, Dublin yesterday. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill / The Irish Times
Varadkar calls for all parties to make pledge on Irish unity

Every party running in the next Dáil general elections should make manifesto pledges that Irish unification is “an objective, not an aspiration” and back the establishment of a New Ireland Forum to plan for it, former taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said.

New ideas would have to be contemplated,e said, including, perhaps, having a president and a vice-president, where one of the offices would have to be held by a British citizen.

News in Ireland

The €1.4m security hut between the Department of Finance and Government buildings.  Photograph: Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Times
The €1.4m security hut between the Department of Finance and Government buildings. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Times
  • €1.4m cost of Government Buildings security hut is ‘ridiculous’: A “beautiful” security hut at Government Buildings cost more than €1.4 million, TDs and Senators have been told.
  • Weather forecast: This morning will be very wet and cloudy with bands of rain becoming widespread and heavy at times too. The rain will be heaviest and most persistent across Leinster with spot flooding possible. Northerly winds will be fresh to strong with highest temperatures of 10 to 13 degrees. The heavy rain will gradually clear southwards through this evening but it will remain cloudy. Lowest temperatures of 4 to 7 degrees.
  • Check out today’s Most Read stories
  • Join The Irish Times WhatsApp channel for breaking news straight to your phone.

Abroad

Doireann Ní Shiochru: 'It’s crucial to carve out your own path, to find out who you are'.
Doireann Ní Shiochru: 'It’s crucial to carve out your own path, to find out who you are'.

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