‘A do-nothing Government?’ Lowest number of laws enacted in a first year this century
The two Bills enacted last week has brought the total number of new Acts to 14 so far this year, with a probable 18-20 expected by the end of the year. This has been the lowest volume of legislation enacted by a new Government in its first year of office this century. It compares with 32 Acts passed in 2020, the first year of the coalition between Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and the Greens. The Fianna Fáil and Green coalition passed the same number in 2007. We are in the political doldrums.”Most of the 14 Bills enacted so far in 2025 are relatively minor.
Source:The Irish Times
December 17, 2025 15:02 UTC
‘The place is turned upside-down’: small food businesses in Dublin hit by burglaries
Mr Grossman, who turned 36 on Monday, arrived at his takeaway pizza business off the Walkinstown roundabout in Dublin that morning to discover it had been “upturned”, with cash stolen. He has been running Deano’s Wood Fired Pizza out of a large steel container at the location for the last three years. A number of other small food businesses were targeted in southwest Dublin in the early hours of Monday, as well as over recent weeks. Mr Grossman said the intruders smashed his CCTV cameras and he was told by gardaí they are reviewing nearby residents’ footage. “It’s disappointing when you’re a small business and you’re just trying to earn a living and sustain a business.
Source:The Irish Times
December 17, 2025 14:32 UTC
In Pictures: Bondi Beach after the Hanukkah gathering massacre
Floral tributes piled up outside Bondi Pavilion as Sydney residents returned to Bondi Beach after Sunday’s shooting at a Hanukkah celebration. Photograph: Evan Treacy for The Irish TimesScenes from the Bondi Beach vigil site and crowds. Photograph: Evan Treacy for The Irish TimesScenes from Bondi Beach, the vigil site and crowds. Photograph: Evan Treacy for The Irish TimesA view of the vigil by the beach, Bondi Beach, Sydney. Photograph: Evan Treacy for The Irish TimesA view of the bridge where the gunmen opened fire, Bondi Beach, Sydney.
Source:The Irish Times
December 17, 2025 12:31 UTC
Family of Dubliner held over Israeli arms factory break-in criticises treatment by Germany
They accuse the German authorities of chicanery, intimidatory practices and a politicised approach to the case – charges rejected by the federal prosecutor in Stuttgart. She said Tatlow-Devally declined a court-appointed lawyer, telling police that a lawyer of their choosing – naming Christina Mucha – would be in contact. They accuse Elbit, a major Israeli arms company that supplies drones, of “war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in Gaza”. Like the lawyer team, Devally takes issue with what he views as “criminal language” being used by prosecutors in the case. The officer remains in service and a Berlin state prosecutor has opened an investigation of its own.
Source:The Irish Times
December 17, 2025 12:26 UTC
Tesla faces California sales halt over marketing practices
Tesla’s sales in California are poised to be suspended for 30 days if it doesn’t change its marketing practices that allegedly mislead consumers about its driver-assistance technology, the state’s motor vehicles department said. A suspension of Tesla’s sales license would be a major blow to the Austin, Texas-based company. Sales in California will continue uninterrupted,” Tesla said in a statement that didn’t provide more details. Tesla sales in California make up a significant share of its nationwide business, and the company’s large plant in Fremont is the only assembly line for its Model S and Model X vehicles. “Tesla can still win long term, but rulings like this widen the gap between hype and deployment,” Haris Khurshid said.
Source:The Irish Times
December 17, 2025 12:17 UTC
England consider formal complaint after Snicko error costs Carey’s wicket
Australia's Alex Carey celebrates scoring a century on the first day of the third Ashes Test against Australia at the Adelaide Oval. Either way, England were unhappy, with the bowling coach, David Saker, indicating a complaint to the match referee, Jeff Crowe, may follow. “I think the calibration of the Snicko is out quite a bit and that has probably been the case for the series. In this day and age you’d think the technology is good enough to pick things up like that. I don’t think we’ve done anything about it so far but after today, maybe that might go a bit further.
Source:The Irish Times
December 17, 2025 12:07 UTC
Online child safety could prove a major test for EU in battle with Trump
There may be support for a social media ban on young teenagers in Ireland but it is not likely to happen in the short term. Photograph: iStockAustralia’s ban on children under 16 having social media accounts is being keenly watched by parents and governments across the world. Deep linksO’Donovan’s convoluted response has, of course, to be seen in the context of our economy’s deep links to the US technology sector, and social media platforms in particular. Ireland will, according to Donovan, make online child safety a theme of our presidency of the European Union in six months’ time. Its lack of enthusiasm for taking on the issue of online child protection is understandable.
Source:The Irish Times
December 17, 2025 12:01 UTC
RTB closing in on deal for new offices at Clerys Quarter
The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) is closing in on a deal for a new headquarters at the Clerys Quarter development on O’Connell Street in Dublin city centre. The agreement with the RTB will bring the consortium behind the Clerys Quarter a step closer to its objective of securing full occupancy for the scheme’s office element in advance of its plan to sell its remaining interests there. Developed on the site of the former Clerys department store, the Clerys Quarter scheme also includes 60,000sq ft of retail accommodation, most of which is occupied by Swedish fashion giant H&M and French sports retailer Decathlon, and a new 229-bedroom Premier Inn hotel which is under construction. The hotel is currently being offered to the market on behalf of Premier Inn’s owner, the Whitbread Group, on a forward-funding basis for €66.6 million. The company continues to trade and is seeking to pursue new development opportunities in Dublin city.”
Source:The Irish Times
December 17, 2025 12:01 UTC
Have your say: Have you received a scam call from a UK +44 number?
People are being advised to avoid answering calls on their phone from unknown numbers that use the prefix +44 amid a surge in reports of scamsHave you seen an increase in calls from unknown numbers that use the prefix +44 to your phone? People are being advised to avoid answering these calls amid a surge in reports of scams. In the run-up to Christmas, Ireland is experiencing a significant rise in scam calls that appear to be coming from the UK, according to the State’s communication regulator. Just by answering one of the +44 phone calls, it is possible that a scammer may add your number to a database, or sell it on to another criminal organisation, resulting in you receiving more calls of a similar nature. Please limit your submissions to 400 words or less and include a phone number for verification purposes only.
Source:The Irish Times
December 17, 2025 10:37 UTC
‘We live with danger’: Ukrainian farmers risk deadly harvest in fields sown with bombs
Pieces of missiles found on land belonging to farmer Dmytro in Snihurivka, southeastern Ukraine. A minefield warning near Snihurivka in southeastern Ukraine. Now, I think they’re proud of me.”Tetiana Tymofyeyeva, a mechanical operator for the Halo Trust demining charity in southeastern Ukraine. Rostyslav Tsykalenko flies drones over fields to detect mines and unexploded ordnance in southeastern Ukraine as a remote sensing supervisor for the Halo Trust. “We live with danger − we’re not very far from the front line,” says Dmytro, who does not want his surname published.
Source:The Irish Times
December 17, 2025 10:26 UTC
Best cars to buy in 2026: Standout models and overall best buy
A quick tally shows that we’ve driven well over 170 new cars between us in the last 12 months. Admittedly, some were different engine variants of the same models, but in the main, these were entirely new cars. New Renault 4One of the sharpest cars we drove this year was another supermini, the Firefly EV, an offshoot of Nio. Kia EV4Which brings us to our best buy for 2026, which goes to a very late arrival: the BMW iX3. But time at the wheel on its international launch showcased how hugely impressive it is in terms of its mix of tech, driving dynamics and power.
Source:The Irish Times
December 17, 2025 09:38 UTC
Letters home: ‘I’m saying thanks to the bus driver ... not something I hear in London’
Her biggest passion, however, is Croí na Gaeilge, a grassroots collective for the Irish language which she founded shortly after arriving in the city. “Never mind the crowds that will be on Grafton Street coming up doing the Christmas shopping, London is so busy. “It’s not something I hear [in London], or even saying hello to the bus driver. She held her first Irish language meet-up in March, 2023, and since then, has regularly been hosting events for the Irish community. [ ‘Huge demand’ for Irish language classes as adult learners return to school decades onOpens in new window ]She keeps a close eye on developments in the Irish language at home, saying she would have liked to attend September’s Agóid Náisiúnta na nGael, which saw thousands protest in Dublin for greater funding and equality for the Irish language and Gaeltacht.
Source:The Irish Times
December 17, 2025 09:27 UTC
Youth accused of murdering Ukrainian teen expresses condolences and asks for ‘forgiveness’
The youth, aged 17, according to his charge, again appeared at the Dublin Children’s Court before Judge Paul Kelly via video link from the Oberstown Children Detention Campus. Vadym (17) was stabbed on the morning of October 15th during an incident at a 24-hour facility in Donaghmede, where he was placed in care after recently arriving from Kyiv. At a procedural hearing, the accused asked for forgiveness and claimed his documents were false. The accused cannot be named while the case proceeds on the basis he is a minor. He was further remanded in custody until Monday pending directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Source:The Irish Times
December 17, 2025 08:43 UTC
Patients in Dublin mental health hospital left in soiled clothes, slapped and threatened
Bloomfield Hospital in Rathfarnham, Co Dublin, has apologised for the distress caused to some patients by mistreatment highlighted by an independent reviewer. Photograph: Bryan O’BrienResidents in a south Dublin mental health hospital were left soiled for an “unacceptable period”, “slapped” on the leg, cursed at and threatened with an injection to improve co-operation with staff, an investigation has found. Set up by the Quakers in Ireland, the hospital, a registered charity, cares for people with mental health issues and disorders including Huntington’s disease, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, dementia and schizophrenia. The report said this worker witnessed patients who needed to be washed and changed after an incontinence event “being left to wait for an unacceptable period”. The investigator acknowledged most staff at the hospital appeared “committed to delivering compassionate patient-centred care to patients”.
Source:The Irish Times
December 17, 2025 07:32 UTC