Good morning,
Here comes the rain again. As we peer out the window in north Dublin, there’s just a drizzle coming down in the predawn. However, we are assured by Met Éireann that there is a commuting-time deluge on the way, which should make for an unpleasant start to the shortened post-bank holiday week across the east and southeast in particular. Politically and literally, it looks like it will be some time before these waters begin to recede.
The Taoiseach was out and about in Enniscorthy yesterday, promising interim defences for the flood-hit town. Flanked by Minister for Housing James Browne and Minister of State Kevin “Boxer” Moran, Micheál Martin made the rounds and dutifully listened to those impacted in the Wexford town. He must have been taken by surprise when he was gifted a painting by 90-year-old John McNamara. The painting, by McNamara’s sister Sarah Thompson, was titled Valley of Shadows, depicting a messianic figure in a boat rescuing people from floods. Martin promised to hang it in Leinster House, as requested, to remind him of his promises to the people of Enniscorthy.
Tim O’Brien’s report from Enniscorthy is here.
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Tim outlines how several residents were not shy about sharing their disappointment and scepticism with Martin, who dutifully promised improvements in the short term and substantial works in the long term. In the immediate term, there are status yellow rain warnings to contend with as public frustration looks likely to continue to set the agenda. Oh, and the risk of freezing weather and snow as we head towards the middle of the month.
Senior Ministers, including Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris, meet today to assess the flooding situation and to discuss how the Government plans to tackle the matter. Meanwhile, the Coalition is to sign off on higher grants to assist flood victims at an incorporeal meeting today.
We lead the paper today with Patsy McGarry’s report on the momentous meeting between clerical abuse survivor David Ryan and Pope Leo XIV. Ryan, whose story was told along with others (including his late brother Mark) in the RTÉ documentary Blackrock Boys, was the first Irish abuse survivor to meet the pontiff, and did so accompanied by a photograph of Mark. In a private audience with the head of the Catholic Church, he presented a list of six questions.
The bravery of the Ryan brothers and others paved the way for thousands more to come forward with their stories, and led to the establishment of a Commission of Investigation into the handling of historical child sexual abuse in schools by the last Government, and he will meet Minister for Education Hildegarde Naughton tomorrow.
Best reads
Ellen Coyne reports on a government move to restrict access to rape victims’ counselling notes at trial.
Cabinet will consider fast-tracked plans to implement a ban on the use of scramblers when it meets tomorrow, Cormac McQuinn reports.
Tony Blair and Peter Mandleson will go down in history as crawlers and creeps, says Fintan O’Toole.
Andrew Hamilton previews the Galway West byelection.
Sadhbh O’Neill asks whether Ireland should introduce a duty of care for rainwater.
World’s smallest violin territory, we suspect, as Ken Foxe charts the inflation of prices at the (still cheap) Dáil bar and restaurant.
Playbook
No Dáil, Seanad or Cabinet meeting today as Leinster House largely remains in a post-bank holiday slumber. However, the EU Affairs Committee hears from agriculture commissioner Cristophe Hansen and budget commissioner Piotr Serafin. Hansen was out in the Business Post on Sunday describing how he is “astonished” at Ireland’s “incoherent” Mercosur position, so expect that to come up. That’s at 10.30am. The commissioners will meet Minister for Finance Simon Harris and Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon while in Dublin today.
The Irish language committee meets at midday to hear about demand for Irish-medium preschools and nurseries.
At 3pm, the Foreign Affairs Committee is holding a discussion on the EU-Morocco trade agreement with an official from the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Here’s the committee schedule.
Newstalk debuts its new schedule today, anchored by Claire Byrne’s new show from 9am. The Taoiseach is expected to appear on the show for an interview.
That Cabinet subcommittee flooding meeting is expected in the late afternoon, before the Coalition leaders’ usual pre-Cabinet meeting.
