Five things you need to know today

Garda breath tests; bus strike; Rescue 116; legality of water fines; Northern stalemate

Bus Éireann workers on strike outside Busáras, Dublin, on Monday. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
Bus Éireann workers on strike outside Busáras, Dublin, on Monday. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill

1. Nóirín O'Sullivan faces further pressure over fake Garda breath tests

Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan will come under further pressure on Tuesday to give at least a broad indication of how a million breath tests recorded by the force never happened after Fianna Fáil’s justice spokesman, Jim O’Callaghan, said on Monday night he was still not in a position to express confidence in her.

Fine Gael Ministers on Monday night expressed support for Ms O’Sullivan after a number of public appearances on Monday in which she attempted to address the latest scandal to affect the force.

2. Bus Éireann strike: Dublin Bus, Irish Rail may join action

READ MORE

The strike at Bus Éireann entered its fifth day on Tuesday with further possible industrial unrest on the way at Iarnród Éireann and Dublin Bus.

Siptu said on Monday it would ballot members working at the bus and rail companies for action in support of the striking Bus Éireann staff.

3. Investigators confident Rescue 116 'black box' can yield clues

The “black box” recovered from the crashed Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 116 is in sufficiently good condition to yield clues as to the cause of the fatal incident, investigators have said.

As efforts continued on Monday to raise the wreckage of the aircraft off the north Co Mayo seabed, the Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) said it and its British counterparts were “confident” that data could be extracted by the end of this week.

4. Legal changes needed for water fines

Existing legislation will need to be amended to bring in fines for householders who waste water if the State is to avoid breaching European laws, the Oireachtas committee considering the future of water charges will be told on Tuesday.

The committee, which meets later to consider its final report, is to hear legal opinion stating that the 2007 Water Services Act must be radically overhauled to meet the requirements of the European Water Framework Directive.

5. Brokenshire gives Northern parties more time to break stalemateThere are just a "short few weeks" to break the political stalemate that is holding up restoration of the Northern Executive and Assembly, the Northern Secretary James Brokenshire has warned.

After the deadline for a deal passed at 4pm on Monday Mr Brokenshire refrained from calling immediate Assembly elections, as was threatened. Instead he indicated he would provide more time to determine if the parties – principally the DUP and Sinn Féin – could yet resolve their differences over issues such as the Irish language, the legacy of the Troubles, and Brexit.