GOOD MORNING.
Here’s all the news that you need to know as you start your Christmas Eve.
‘Dirty data’1. Data centre operators are beginning to look to emerging markets for their power-hungry installations as grid capacity issues, planning disputes and delayed policy are stalling plans to expand in Ireland.
The Journal Investigates reports this morning that renewable energy in other EU countries can offer a greener solution to Ireland’s ‘dirty’ data centres.
Healthcare assistants2. Healthcare assistants from immigrant backgrounds won’t be able to see their children this Christmas due to a restriction that limits who can live with them while they work in Ireland, The Journal’s Muiris O’Cearbhaill reports.
Roughly 2,000 healthcare assistants who come from countries outside of the EU are unable to have their family members with them in Ireland because their earnings are below the allowed threshold for them to claim reunification rights.
Limerick hit-and-run3. A man is still being held by gardaí in connection with the hit-and-run in Rathkeale in Co Limerick on Saturday which resulted in the death of 21-year-old Marguerita Sheridan.
Gardaí said that a van believed to have been involved in the incident has been recovered.
Job losses4. Staying in Limerick, it’s understood that around 50 people have lost their jobs two days before Christmas with the closure of the International Rugby Experience, a year and half after its red ribbon opening.
Tributes5. A woman who died after being found injured in Co Down earlier this month has been remembered at her funeral as a “loving mother” with an “unwavering” commitment to her work as a children’s nurse.
Karen Cummings was found unconscious at a house in the Laurel Heights area of Banbridge, Co Down, on 14 December and died a short time later.
Two men have been remanded in custody after appearing before a judge charged with Ms Cummings’ murder.
New York6. A man is facing murder charges in New York City for allegedly setting a woman on fire inside a subway train and then watching her die after she was engulfed in flames, police said.
The suspect, identified by police as Sebastian Zapeta, was taken into custody hours after the woman died on Sunday morning.
A pet is for life7. The DSPCA has urged the public to consider the responsibilities of pet ownership before making the decision to adopt a dog or cat this Christmas, as the rescue organisation recorded a sharp increase in cruelty cases and abandoned pets.
Last minute Christmas8. Need some last minute pointers for cooking the perfect turkey? Chef Alex Petit also has you covered for your stuffing, a Christmas pudding and a fancy prawn starter here.
The outlook9. If you’re still dreaming of a white Christmas this year … well, stop? The outlook for tomorrow is for a relatively mild day with temperatures between 11 and 13 degrees and just the odd patch of light rain.
