Newsround: what Tuesday's papers say

Rent rises to be limited in Dublin and Cork and Hammond calls for transition deal to ease break with Brussels

Wednesday's papers

The top stories in Tuesday's papers:

THE IRISH TIMES

- Landlords in Dublin and Cork will only be able to increase rents by up to four per cent a year over the next three years under proposals being brought to Cabinet today, the paper reports on its front page.

- It also carries a story on pay rates for senior public staff which it says are "a real disincentive" with candidates able to earn up to 30 per cent more in the private sector, according to a government memo.

- Pat Hickey is on his way home from Brazil almost four-and-a-half months after leaving Ireland to attend the Olympic Games after a court in Rio de Janeiro cleared the way for his passport to be returned, the paper says.

- In its business section, the paper reports that the international revenues channelled by Facebook through its Irish unit surged by 64.5 per cent to €7.9 billion last year while its staff were paid on average €123,000 each.

FINANCIAL TIMES

- UK Chancellor Philip Hammond called yesterday for transitional arrangements to smooth Britain's exit from the EU, the most senior cabinet figure to publicly suggest there might not be a clean break with Brussels in 2019.

- The paper's front page also reports that IMF chief Christine Lagarde appeared in a French court yesterday, eight years after she approved a €403 million government payout to businessman Bernard Tapie when she was finance minister.

- Oil prices have surged above $57 a barrel for the first time since July last year after Opec clinched a long-sought supply pact with Russia and other big exporters outside the cartel over the weekend.

- The FT names Donald Trump at its person of the year, saying his stunning presidential victory divided a nation and rewrote the rule of American politics. Under the headline, "A leap into the populist unknown", it says the self-proclaimed master dealmaker will show whether his campaign pledges were simply opening bids.

IRISH INDEPENDENT

- The permanent and pensionable status of public-sector jobs will be used by the government to fight back against pay demands after it emerged that a garda's retirement pot is worth up to €40,000 a year, the paper says on its front page.

- It also reports on the proposed new rental plan to calm the market, saying in-demand locations will be subject to rent caps under the plans to be announced today.

- The cost of upgrading the water network to eliminate health hazards and provide clean and safe drinking water has risen by more than €1 billion, Irish Water has told the regulator.

- The paper reports on the fall in the number of homeowners who are behind on their mortgage payments but said the overall number in arrears remains high, reflecting the fact that thousands of families remain in a debt crisis.

IRISH EXAMINER

- The government has been urged to get tough on the insurance industry amid concerns that the most expensive flood defence project in the history of the state may not be enough to restore flood cover to thousands of affected homes and businesses, the paper says.

- The drug-related death toll in Ireland in 2014 outstripped the numbers killed on the roads by more than three to one and of the 697 who died, half were aged 39 or younger, new figures from the Health Research Board show.

- The Lotto has created more than 800 millionaires over the last 27 years, paying out 810 prizes worth €1 million or more. Punters in Dublin were the most likely to become millionaires by playing the game but players in the southwest won the highest payouts, National Lottery figures show.

- Finance Minister Michael Noonan has ruled out any chance of a bilateral Brexit deal between Ireland and Britain despite a House of Lords report warning this country faces becoming the "collateral damage" of the UK's break from Europe unless drastic action is taken.