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1. Illegal immigrants ‘paid up to €20,000’ for Dublin Airport scam
Gardaí believe fees of up to €20,000 were paid by people smuggled into Ireland by an international crime syndicate suspected of exploiting security at Dublin Airport.
In an apparently embarrassing breach at the airport, it is believed people who had paid to be smuggled into Ireland disembarked flights and bypassed immigration and security checks with the co-operation of a small number of staff.
2. Sexual consent legislation to be submitted for Cabinet approval
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Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald is to seek Cabinet approval on Tuesday to define sexual consent in legislation for the first time.
She will bring a memo to this morning’s Cabinet meeting outlining how she intends to address the anomaly in Irish law.
3. South Dublin apartment owners face €10m bill to fix defects
Apartment owners at Beacon South Quarter in Sandyford, south Dublin, are facing more than €10 million in costs to fix fire safety and other structural defects in their homes.
About 600 apartment owners in four blocks at the development are understood to be affected by the defects which include “a large number of fire safety deficiencies” according to a fire consultant’s report.
4. New commission to investigate Garda whistleblower claims
The Government is to move to establish a commission of investigation into allegations that senior gardaí engaged in an orchestrated campaign to discredit a Garda whistleblower.
The Irish Times understands that retired high court judge Iarlaith O’Neill, who was asked last October to take a look at the allegations and report his findings within weeks, has recommended that further investigation is warranted into claims made by Supt David Taylor.
5. White House press secretary stands by inauguration claims
US president Donald Trump's White House press secretary Sean Spicer told reporters during his first official press briefing that "our intention is never to lie to you" but he refused to retract his disputed claim that the inauguration was the most watched ever "both in person and around the globe."
He stood by his claim that Mr Trump’s swearing-in at the US Capitol on Friday drew the largest audience of any inauguration saying that it was “unquestionable”.