Caoimhe Harney

The Housing Minister says Ukrainians still need to be given a fair opportunity to work and integrate, and says it needs to be reflected in any changes to entitlements for refugees. Darragh O’Brien says ‘further discussions are required’ before a decision is made on the period of time Ukrainians can be in state accommodation. Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien on the proposals discussed at cabinet earlier this week - which sparked a fierce row among the coalition.

Ireland's environmental watchdog has warned the equivalent of three Olympic-size swimming pools of untreated raw sewage are flowing into Ireland's water systems every day because of a lack of water treatment plants. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) raised the concern in a detailed report which has criticised Uisce Éireann. In its Urban Waste Water Treatment report for 2022, the EPA said over half of Ireland's wastewater discharges are not meeting EU standards to protect the environment.