Good morning.
TDs and Senators have scoffed their Easter eggs and they return to Leinster House today after the two-week recess refreshed, no doubt, after the break.
It is just over three months since the new Government of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Independents was formed.
That period in the Dáil has been marked more by the massive row over speaking rights than the passing of legislation, of which very little has gotten over the line so far.
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With the various Oireachtas committees expected to be up and running next week, the 34th Dáil should finally get in gear and the process of examining and debating new laws should speed up.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin will today bring the Summer Legislation Programme to Cabinet which includes plans for the priority publication of 23 Bills and the drafting of 28 others.
Items included in the legislative programme include a defence Bill on the deployment of peacekeepers – ie the bid to scrap the “triple lock” - a Bill on assisted human reproduction and the Short-Term Letting and Tourism Bill.
The Cabinet meets this morning and will consider such matters as the overhaul of Ireland’s international protection system as part of proposals to give effect in Irish law to the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum; the purchase of military radar for the Defence Forces, and the plan to unlock funding for higher education.
There is, however, a developing political row over another matter expected before Cabinet: the establishment of a new Strategic Housing Activation Office in the Department of Housing.
The Coalition’s preferred candidate to head up the office is Brendan McDonagh, the chief executive of the National Asset Management Agency (Nama).
Reports at the weekend that he would retain his Nama salary of some €430,000 if seconded to the new role sparked Opposition criticism.
On Monday, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he understood public concern over the mooted salary but said “the overarching concern is getting houses built much more quickly”.
Our tee-up story for today’s Cabinet meeting can be found here.
Today’s lead story is the huge power outage across Spain and Portugal.
Our Europe Correspondent Jack Power reports on how investigations were ongoing on Monday to determine the exact cause of a widespread electricity blackout that cut off power to millions of people across Spain and Portugal, leading to huge disruption as authorities battled to restore power.
Elsewhere on the front page Legal Affairs Correspondent Mary Carolan outlines how the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is seeking to overturn a District Court judge’s “unreasonable and irrational” refusal to convict more than 30 drivers of alleged speeding on a road in Co Kildare.
And we report on tech giant Meta introducing a new service for public figures such as politicians and celebrities to protect them from so-called “celeb-bait” fake advertisements using their image.
Best Reads
As Donald Trump reaches his 100th day in his second stint in the Oval Office, our Washington Correspondent Keith Duggan writes that the US president’s approval rating is way down and no one knows what he’s going to do next.
Back home, Joe Brennan reports that average Irish mortgage drawdowns hit a record of almost €328,000 in the first three months of the year, with borrowers taking on more debt as home prices continued to soar amid a shortage of properties for sale.
As part of an investigation led by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), Scilla Alecci and Colm Keena write that China has been using the international policing network Interpol to target not just criminals but critics of the Beijing regime and members of persecuted religious groups living overseas.
There is coverage from Patsy McGarry and Steven Carroll of the death of bishop Brendan Comiskey and how the senior cleric had admitted his best efforts to deal with abuse allegations against the notorious Fr Seán Fortune were “not good enough”.
Playbook
The Cabinet meets this morning and the Dáil is back after the Easter recess.
Leaders’ Questions is at 2pm followed by Taoiseach’s questions.
Government business in the afternoon (from 3.49pm) is statements on Children’s Health Ireland (CHI). The organisation has been in the news in recent weeks after the publication of a report on the use of unauthorised springs in children’s spinal surgeries. Here is some of our previous coverage.
Another CHI-related issue will be raised by Sinn Féin, which is tabling a motion on allegations about unnecessary hip surgeries. The debate starts at 7.21pm.
Minister for Children Norma Foley takes parliamentary questions from 9.21pm.
TDs have an opportunity to raise topical issues from 10.57pm and the Dáil is due to adjourn just before midnight.
Seanad proceedings start at 2.30pm and Government business later in the evening is statements on forestry and a motion on the proposed approval of the final draft of the revised National Planning Framework.
The main Oireachtas committees are not expected to sit for the first time in this Dáil term until next week.
The full Dáil and Seanad schedules can be found here and here.
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