Video: Harris condemns violent scenes in Rathkeale; pay deal for Ryanair pilots

Rathkeale concerns

Minister for Justice Simon Harris has promised there will be "enhanced policing" for Rathkeale in Limerick over Christmas following "unacceptable" violent scenes on Monday.

Armed gardaí were patrolling the town in Co Limerick on Monday night after violent incidents erupted between rival groups, leaving the town “like a war zone”, locals said.

A number of vehicles were written off in ramming incidents and machetes were allegedly produced, as gardaí sealed off a large section of the town.

Ryanair pay deal

Ryanair has agreed a four-year pay deal with its Irish pilots which will include the immediate restoration of pay cuts made during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Ireland-based airline had spent months in discussions with the Fórsa union over a long-term pay deal.

Under the new deal, Ryanair’s pilots in Ireland will now receive three years of pay increases over the next four years until March 2027, the low-cost carrier told investors on Tuesday.

Hospital waiting lists

Sinn Féin is calling on the Minister for Health to buy up private hospital accommodation if necessary to prevent "chaotic" waiting lists in the coming weeks.

A total of 760 patients were left waiting for a bed in hospitals around the country on Monday.

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) said on Monday night that the current situation is back to pre-pandemic levels.

Sinn Féin health spokesperson David Cullinane said if Stephen Donnelly is serious about addressing the problem, he would purchase beds in the private sector.

Public Accounts Committee questions Toy Show: The Musical

The commercial risks involved in putting on Toy Show: The Musical “appear to be too high”, according to the chair of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Sinn Féin's Brian Stanley.

Mr Stanley said the PAC will be asking RTÉ director general Dee Forbes what market research was done in advance of the production.

The queries come after seven of the production's 30-show run at the Convention Centre in Dublin were cancelled.