Catherine Martin | Business Post

National Concert Hall upgrade under review after €100m cost hike

PwC to evaluate renovation project’s value for money as cost estimates rise from €80 million to €180 million

Catherine Martin says no decision made on future of hospitality sector's 9% Vat rate

The tourism minister said that it was ‘no secret’ that she wanted to see the emergency measure extended

New law will mean no insurance claims against e-scooter users

To encourage their use, there will be no age limit, tax or insurance or driving licence requirement for e-scooters or e-bikes capable of speeds up to 25kph

Morning Headlines

No limit on short-term letting licenses; £6.4m loss at Teeling-backed mining firm

The stories you need to read this morning in business, politics and current affairs

No role for RTB in regulating short-term lets after disagreement with Fáilte Ireland over new system

Legislation to be published establishing new registration system for homeowners and platforms

Over 430 businesses get €4m in night-time economy funding

Venues such as pubs and art galleries awarded the funds from the Night-Time Economy Support Scheme to assist off-peak entertainment across the country

Virgin Media hits out at ‘fundamentally unfair’ spending code at RTÉ

Commercial broadcaster asked Catherine Martin, the Minister for Media, if she was satisfied with agency’s spending on content ‘already available to consumers elsewhere’ including UK and US box sets

Online safety commissioner may need up to 5,000 staff and €407m budget

The watchdog will act on complaints about inappropriate content across the EU if social networking services are ‘ineffective’ in dealing with them, according to an official report

Reeling out the cash: Screen Ireland and who gets the money

Described as being ‘more secretive than the Vatican’, Screen Ireland has loaned out a total of €336 million to filmmakers over many years. Now questions are being asked about the amount of money it has given to projects by current and former members of its own board

Google trialling new system to detect underage users

The system will prompt users to provide a form of identification if the probability that they are underage is deemed to be high

Big Tech left off group tasked with examining online complaints mechanism

The expert group is to examine whether it is practicable to include an individual complaints mechanism in the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill

Protestors call on government to tackle Instagram’s impact on mental health

Teenagers walked from Facebook’s docklands headquarters to Leinster House where they delivered a letter which demanded tech giant be held ‘accountable’

Tourists to be provided with ‘carbon calculators’

The Minister for Tourism is due to bring the report of the sustainable tourism working group to cabinet for approval tomorrow

We cannot allow hugely lucrative business tourism to depart for other shores

Conference and event tourism like Aviation Week was worth a staggering €760 million to the Irish economy in 2019 and we can’t afford to lose it

Plans for National Children’s Science Centre to be cancelled

The €37 million project unlikely now to go ahead due to other pressing demands on spending

Willie O’Reilly: Who will be the caped crusader to come to the rescue of RTÉ?

Last week’s alarming report on Montrose’s finances has confirmed it will take more than minor tweaks to save our beleaguered national broadcaster

Colin Murphy: Greens’ deal for artists doesn’t mean basic income is coming

Catherine Martin’s announcement of a basic income pilot scheme for artists will be popular with that hard-hit community, but the concept of a national basic income is politically divisive

Greens’ Martin eyes early reopening for visitors

Tourism recovery oversight group is pushing strongly for ‘timely reopening’ of international tourism as cabinet considers proposals

Martin meets key figures in entertainment industry with a view to staging live events

The Minister for Culture has held talks with concert promoter Denis Desmond over plans to introduce a pilot scheme for live concerts, possibly by July

Ireland urgently needs to pass new online safety laws, department says

State has already missed EU deadline to enact media bill which would regulate web platforms