Pupils in third class at St Etchen’s National School in Kinnegad, Co Westmeath, on the first day the wearing of face masks in primary schools became mandatory. Photograph: Damien Eagers 3:17 New restrictions being considered to control Covid-19 over Christmas
Mica redress scheme likely ‘sufficient’ but larger houses not fully covered – industry figures 2:29 Mica redress scheme likely ‘sufficient’ but larger houses not fully covered – industry figures

Motorists should pay to drive into city centre, say Dubliners 2:01 Motorists should pay to drive into city centre, say Dubliners

Coronavirus Pandemic

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The ECDC cautioned that children with no known risk factors were still susceptible to 'severe disease and hospitalisation' and called for all countries to consider the vaccination of children aged 5-11. Photograph: iStock 2:26 Children at risk should be a ‘priority group’ for vaccine – ECDC
Pupils in third class upwards are required to wear face masks, apart from those with exemptions. Photograph: Damien Eagers Q&A: Can my child really be refused entry to school for not wearing a face mask?
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar was speaking at the Fine Gael parliamentary party meeting on Wednesday. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw Covid-19: Varadkar not convinced new restrictions needed as Ireland on track with optimisitic scenario
Dr Anthony Fauci urged Americans to take a vaccine if they had not already done so and to take a booster if eligible. Photograph: Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA US records first Omicron case in person who returned from S Africa
Full coverage of the threat to the global environment
 
Never come between an Irish person and their 1970s bungalow My Bungalow Bliss: Liveline listeners bombarded Joe Duffy with complaints about Hugh Wallace’s new series

TV: My Bungalow Bliss turns out to be as bog standard as the homes it sets out to transform

May all your Christmases be green: Sustainable dinner, gifts and trees Sharon Keilthy

Five businesses give advice to help you ensure it’s a season of goodwill to the planet

Miriam Lord: Mary Lou will be raging she missed the ghost of Pearse Pearse was standing in for Mary Lou McDonald who is away in America and very definitely not fundraising for Sinn Féin in Ireland because little Sinn Féin in the USA needs constant, massive funding for some inexplicable reason. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire 6:54

Taoiseach says he can ‘see through’ SF TD as masks and mica row dominate debate

Cabinet crumbling under double pressure from Covid and mica On mica, the Government finds itself in retreat a day after it unveiled its long-awaited plan to fix the thousands of homes in Donegal and beyond that are falling apart because of defective building material. Photograph: Joe Dunne 3:02

Omicron response has public frustrated, while mica redress plan is a botched job

Chance ‘blown’ to get ahead of Covid-19, says economic historian Adam Tooze says the new variant is a consequence of ‘making choices’ to deal with the virus nationally but not globally 4:53

Author Adam Tooze says evolving virus is ‘teaching us the lesson’ of failing to prepare

Minister under pressure to drop mica redress sliding scale Mica protest: Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien defended the mica redress plan, saying the rates were ‘indicative’.Photograph: Laura Hutton 2:36

Group warns of renewed protests in Dublin if proposal is not dropped before Christmas

Four goal Liverpool blast past Everton to earn derby win Diogo Jota celebrates scoring Liverpool’s fourth at Goodison. Photograph: Alex Livesey/Getty Images 5:55

Mo Salah brace coupled with efforts from Henderson and Jota hand Reds the spoils

Debate rages in Spain a year on over mandatory masks in schools Pupils and teachers at Vedruna Angels School in the Raval neighbourhood of Barcelona in September 2020. Photograph: Lorena Ros/Getty Images 2:24

Children have complied with the measure but there have been dissenting adult voices

What you need to know about antibiotics this winter ‘People often want antibiotics because life is busy and they have things they need to do and they think that the antibiotic will make them get better faster, but all the studies show that that isn’t the case.’Photograph: Getty Images
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You might be used to asking your GP for antibiotics, but most common infections get better just as quickly without them

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US delays deal to remove Trump-era tariffs on UK metals over Brexit concerns Brussels and Washington have repeatedly warned London that unilaterally changing the EU-UK accord that sealed Britain’s exit from the bloc in 2020 could threaten peace on the island of Ireland. Photograph: Peter Morrison/AP
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  • 23:01

US commerce department worried by UK threat to trigger article 16

Q&A: What happens to Munster now they have returned to Ireland? Munster’s Champions Cup fixture against Wasps is in dount despite the majority of the squad returning to Ireland on Wednesday. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho

Most of the province’s travelling party returned from South Africa on Wednesday

Children at risk should be a ‘priority group’ for vaccine – ECDC The ECDC cautioned that children with no known risk factors were still susceptible to 'severe disease and hospitalisation' and called for all countries to consider the vaccination of children aged 5-11. Photograph: iStock 2:26

Covid-19 cases rising among 5-11 age group but severe illness still ‘rare’, says report

Woman killed and four others seriously injured in Kilkenny crash The road was closed on Wednesday night with diversions in place and is expected to remain closed until Thursday morning. File photograph: Alan Betson

N25 at Glenmore closed until Thursday morning after head-on collision

Building a €100m global dairy snacks business Anderson De Souza, Tom Brennan, Conor Leddy, Audrey Lambe, John Keating and Trevor Walsh
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Entrepreneur Tom Brennan is back with a business that aims to become a leading player in the global dairy snacks market

Sponsored by Dairy Concepts

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