THE leader of the Sinn Féin party has criticised what she described as a “chaotic” approach to the reopening of indoor hospitality which has left businesses without clarity with just days to go before they can welcome customers back inside.

LATEST: Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said indoor dining will resume on Monday for people who can show evidence of immunity, despite the fact that the country is 'without doubt' experiencing a fourth wave of Covid-19.

THE late Des O’Malley was an inspirational political leader who transformed Irish politics. That is according to former Progressive Democrats party chairman John Minihan, who paid tribute to Mr O’Malley after his death was announced this morning.

A REPORT being published tomorrow will examine the findings of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes.

PETER Burke, the junior minister with responsibility for local government and planning, has committed to working with stakeholders to resolve issues at Spring Lane halting site, for the good of the children living there.

The National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) has recommended pausing the reopening of indoor hospitality in Ireland. The recommendation was made during a late night meeting on Monday with the Cabinet Covid Committee.

Cork’s new Lord Mayor tells Amy Nolan he is confident the city can ‘bounce back’ post-Covid.

THE Taoiseach has pledged that the new maternity hospital will not be constrained by any religious ethos. Micheál Martin said the new hospital will be fully owned by the State, and fully controlled by the State.

There have been an additional 283 confirmed cases of Covid-19, the Department of Health has said. There are currently 60 people in hospital with the disease, of whom 23 are in intensive care units.

CORK City Council’s AGM, during which the new Lord Mayor of Cork will be elected, is set to take place in the sports hall of Coláiste Choilm in Ballincollig on Friday evening.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has called for a collective effort from political leaders across Ireland and the UK to tackle new strains of the coronavirus.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said Fianna Fail’s initial denial that its members posed as pollsters was “made in error”. Mr Martin said he had never personally commissioned such polls, and that it was “wrong” for political parties to do so.

A Fianna Fáil TD has called for gardaí to investigate reports that Sinn Féin provided its members with fake IDs to pretend they were part of a polling company.

The number of people claiming the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) is at its lowest since December, new figures show. Around 285,000 people received the Covid-19 jobless payment this week, a decrease of more than 24,000 on last week.

Nineteen people have been arrested for alleged public order offences following another night of disorder in Dublin city centre.

There have been an additional 416 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Ireland, the Department of Health has said. As of midnight on Friday, there were 74 people in hospital with the disease, of whom 29 were in intensive care units.

Boris and Bertie have the same Teflon immunity to failings and perceived wrongdoings, so says John Dolan in his weekly column

Cork teen EVA McDONNELL, a member of the Irish Secondary Students Union (ISSU), supports the call to reduce the voting age to 16 in Ireland. Here she tells us why you should too

RELATIONSHIP breakdown and parental job losses are key triggers for transitions into child poverty, new research has found.

THERE are concerns that some tenants in rent pressure zones (RPZs) such as Cork could be facing up to an 8% hike in rents.

Indoor hospitality is set to return in early July under recommendations made by public health officials to Government.

Minister Stephen Donnelly has described initial tests on the decryption key supplied by the health service IT hackers as “positive”.

Government ministers have agreed to implement a 10% stamp duty for bulk purchases of 10 or more properties. The measure is aimed at tackling so-called cuckoo funds buying up housing developments from first-time buyers.

Hundreds of people gathered on the Grand Parade this afternoon in a show of solidarity with the people of Palestine.

Micheál Martin and his British counterpart Boris Johnson discussed post-Brexit trade and the Ballymurphy massacre during a meeting at Chequers, No 10 said.

TRIBUTES have been paid to city councillor Henry Cremin who is stepping down from his role as councillor after 12 years.

Well, Jesus, Mary and Joseph and the wee donkey. Many Corkonians have long felt their native city is the real capital of Ireland and now one of TV's most famous faces has suggested Cork should indeed be a seat of Government.

A CORK woman has raised concerns about the delay in information being given to pregnant women in relation to the vaccine rollout.

LONGSTANDING Sinn Féin representative Henry Cremin has announced that he is stepping down as a Cork city councillor after twelve years.

PEOPLE on both sides of the border are not prepared to foot the bill for a united Ireland, with most in Northern Ireland also fearing it would hit them in the pocket, a poll has revealed.

THERE are “huge opportunities” for Cork to continue to play an active role in developing the political and commercial links between Ireland and the UK, the British Ambassador to Ireland has said.

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee only began maternity leave yesterday, and this morning it's been reported she has given birth to a baby boy. It is understood her baby was born last night at the Rotunda Hospital at around 9. 20pm.

Former housing minister and Fine Gael TD Eoghan Murphy has resigned his seat for Dublin Bay south. The shock departure comes after 12 years as an elected representative, with Mr Murphy set to take up a career in international affairs.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said there needs to be a meeting of “hearts and minds” before a border poll can take place. The Fianna Fáil leader also said that Belfast needs to get rid of its peace walls.

A CORK TD has begged the Minister with responsibility for mental health to intervene in the case of a Cork woman who fears she will die if she does not get in-patient treatment for anorexia and bulimia.

The Tánaiste has been questioned by gardaí over the leaking of a confidential Government document. Leo Varadkar was interviewed by detectives from the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (NBCI) earlier this month.

Citizens’ assemblies needed ‘to plan for border poll in next decade’ (with pics) By James Ward, PA This story is embargoed until 00:01 - 18 Apr 2021 Two citizens’ assemblies should be held in Northern Ireland and the Republic to lay the groundwork ...

Ireland is on track to lift coronavirus restrictions from May 4, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has said. The Tánaiste also said that 80% of the population will have had their first dose of Covid vaccine, or have been offered it, by the end of June.

Parents of children with special needs have to “go to war” to access a school place for their children, an Oireachtas committee has heard.

The Unites States, Canada, France and Italy are among the countries that have been added to Ireland’s mandatory hotel quarantine list.

THE Independent Scientific Advocacy Group is calling on the Government to revise Ireland’s Covid-19 strategy ahead of what it fears could be a fourth wave of the virus.

THE Minister for Education Norma Foley has defended the Government’s recent decision to change the vaccine roll-out schedule from an occupation-based one to one led by age, stating they have been ‘guided by public health and medical experts’.

THE GOVERNMENT’S revision of the Covid-19 vaccine programme is expected to be the subject of discussions and possible motions as the annual conferences of Irish teaching unions get under way today.

The Tánaiste has said additional freedoms will be granted to people who were fully vaccinated. Leo Varadkar confirmed the Government is developing a “digital green certificate vaccine pass” for people to prove they have been fully inoculated.

Liadh Ní Riada tells John Bohane she is ready for the challenge of running in Cork North West and why she believes more needs to be done to encourage women into politics.

THE Taoiseach has announced children’s shoes will soon be available to purchase by appointment.

The Government has unveiled its blueprint to transform rural areas across the country. Entitled Our Rural Future, it is described as the most ambitious and transformational policy for rural development in decades.

PROMINENT Cork political figures are disappointed but unsurprised by a recent report that if every female TD ever elected was to be placed in the current Dáil, there would still be 28 vacant seats.

The Tanaiste has said it will be “very hard to see” the number of daily cases of coronavirus drop to under 500 a day due to the UK variant of the disease.

The Central Bank of Ireland has fined Ulster Bank almost 37. 8 million euro for its role in the country’s tracker mortgage scandal. The bank was issued with the record penalty after it denied borrowers access to the low interest home loans.