1. ‘Irish Times’ poll: Little support for public sector pay rises
Most voters favour hiring more public servants and investing in capital projects rather than either public sector pay hikes or tax cuts.
The latest Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI opinion poll finds that there is little support for public sector pay increases with a huge majority of voters believing that the Government should prioritise other matters.
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2. Stack murder: Kenny seeks to put further pressure on Adams
Taoiseach Enda Kenny has sought to put further pressure on Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams by urging him to reveal the name of the man who drove the sons of murdered prison officer Brian Stack to meet a senior IRA official.
Austin and Oliver Stack were driven to meet a senior IRA figure in 2013 at an undisclosed location. The two sons of Mr Stack were informed at the meeting, which was facilitated by Mr Adams, that a member of the IRA had carried out the killing and had been disciplined for the unauthorised action.
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3. Bray Credit Union breach created risk of ‘terrorist financing’
One of the State’s largest credit unions has been fined nearly €100,000 by the Central Bank after it breached a number of regulations and thereby “created an unacceptable risk of money laundering and terrorist financing”.
Bray Credit Union, Co Wicklow, was reprimanded for breaches of the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act 2010, and fined €98,000.
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4. Trump’s labour and environment cabinet picks alarm opponents
Donald Trump’s nomination of a climate change sceptic to run the Environmental Protection Agency and a fast-food restaurant tycoon opposed to higher minimum wages to be the next labour secretary has put the US president-elect on a collision course with environmentalists and trade unions.
The Wall Street Journal and the New York Times reported that Mr Trump would name Andrew Puzder, the man who runs the company behind burger chains Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr and is an outspoken critic of President Barack Obama’s protections for workers, to run the department of labour.
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5. South Korean politicians vote to impeach president Park Geun-hye
South Korea’s National Assembly has voted to impeach president Park Geun-hye and suspended her authority after a corruption and influence peddling scandal that has seen huge protests in the capital Seoul.
The next step is that the country’s constitutional court will decide whether to uphold the motion and remove Ms Park from office or to reject it and reinstate her.
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And finally. . . Noel Whelan: Should we believe Gerry Adams or Brian Stack’s son?
“Given their respective motives and track records, the choice on who to believe in this recent controversy is a no-brainer.”