Coronavirus
Analysis: How the government can fix its communications problem
Weeks of mixed messages and leaks about Covid-19 strategy have eroded the public’s trust in our leaders and it is crucial that they regain it
Susan O’Keeffe: Public wants clarity, not false promises, from government
Stephen Donnelly may be pledging more than he can deliver on vaccines while the new Living with Covid plan is short on detail and has brought more confusion. We deserve better
Analysis: Variants and vaccines make projecting path of virus more complex
While the vaccine rollout should reduce the number of new Covid-19 cases, the increased transmissibility of the new variant mean progress in suppressing the virus has slowed
Analysis: Weary public unlikely to be inspired by the latest call to persevere
After the week of bungled communications the government endured, asking people to put their faith in such a detail-free plan may strike some as asking a lot
Paul Johnston: Britain’s priorities for UN Security Council align with Irish interests too
Tackling climate change and Covid-19, and trying to prevent conflicts, are key goals
HSE to GPs: administer leftover vaccine doses to patients’ spouses
GPs have been given guidance on who is next in line to receive vaccination, to prevent extra doses spoiling
Tony O’Brien: The government is emerging at last from its quarantine denial
Mass travel, from the influx of Italian fans after a cancelled rugby match, to Cheltenham, to holiday makers returning from Spain and the ‘meaningful Christmas’ shows a leadership that has been unwilling to learn from cruel experience
HSE’s latest private hospitals Covid deal estimated to cost €47 million a month
HSE considers ending surge capacity arrangements with private hospitals as number of Covid-19 hospitalisations falls
Mark Barry: We need to ensure Ireland’s small businesses can now go global
The SME and Entrepreneurship Growth Plan launched last month aims to ensure that Irish companies are set up for success, but even when trading within the single market, national regulations and tax rules can be a hindrance to expansion
Nadine O’Regan: Vaccine envy is a terrible thing to taste
It’s hard to look at the swift rollout of coronavirus vaccinations in other countries and not feel at least a pang of envy
Pat Rabbitte: Has Europe learned its lesson from the last crash?
The ECB responded to the last global recession by embarking on an austerity binge, but things are different this time
Leaving the city and choosing country life in the age of Covid
With most businesses in Dublin and other cities currently shuttered, an increasing number of people are taking the plunge and relocating to rural boltholes. The benefits, they say, are immediate and obvious
Emer McLysaght: Meeting the many manifestations of lockdown madness head on
In these strange days, the only consolation is the knowledge that everybody else has gone a little bit crazy too
Hope springs eternal: HSE plans vaccine surge in April
A last-minute adjustment to ditch the AstraZeneca jab for the over-70s brought another unwelcome delay to the vaccine rollout, but GPs say steady work is being done behind the scenes
Breakdown of HSE’s €1.6 billion war chest to fight Covid-19
The National Service Plan shows that €200m of the €1.6bn allocated to fighting the pandemic is to be spent on the rollout of vaccinations
Scally warns Ireland to put Britain on red travel list
The medical expert warns mandatory quarantine is vital to protect our national vaccine strategy from new Covid-19 variant
Business support schemes will be extended to July in new Covid plan
Taoiseach will give no consideration to reopening hospitality before mid-summer, while chief executive of restaurants association says businesses are being pushed ‘closer to financial ruin and meltdown’
Minister asks cabinet to review underused stay and spend offer
The €250 million tax relief scheme designed to save tourism jobs during the pandemic has seen only €1.6 million worth of potential refunds being claimed
Early data shows that Britain’s vaccine programme is working
The over-80s benefited most with the weekly average for new cases falling more
How to work: Why employees on Covid-related payments are being hit with a tax bill
Workers who were part of the temporary wage supplement scheme or received the PUP are liable to repay tax, but Revenue is at least trying to make it easier to address underpayments