Heat to hit 26C & e-scooter crackdown
Ireland is set for a significant warm spell with temperatures expected to reach 26C next week. Meanwhile, road users face a crackdown on e-scooters under promised new laws, and policing in Cork has been disrupted by a dispute over rest days.
You can expect temperatures to rise to 23C and 24C across parts of the country this weekend. Met Éireann, the national weather service, predicts the heat will continue into Monday and Tuesday, potentially hitting 26C as an "Azores high" pressure system moves over Ireland.
If you use an e-scooter, be aware that the government is promising new laws to help Gardaí (police) crack down on their use. The move follows calls from medical professionals to ban the vehicles entirely due to a high number of injuries requiring intensive care for children.
In Cork, local policing has been affected after 20 Gardaí were sent home today during a dispute over rest days. While those remaining on duty will receive extra payments, the situation has been described as an extraordinary event for the city’s police force.
Regarding medical standards, Dr. Anthony McGrath faces a possible fitness-to-practise sanction after a finding that he faked a burglary at his home. The doctor previously served an eight-year prison sentence for the incident, which he staged in 2019 to pay off debts.
In local community news, a breakaway Catholic group in Shanakiel, Cork, says it will continue to celebrate Latin Mass as normal this Sunday. The group is proceeding with services despite being excommunicated—officially excluded from the Catholic Church—by the Pope.
For more on the funeral of former minister David Andrews, Shamrock Rovers captain Pico Lopes, and the Ireland Women's Sevens win, see the News section.