Government signs contract for National Broadband Plan

The contract for the €3 billion National Broadband Plan has been signed by the Government.

Government ministers travelled to a school in a rural area of Co Wicklow to formally sign the contract.

The plan received approval from the Cabinet this morning after the EU last week ruled the plan complies with state aid rules.

Johnson, Corbyn clash in first UK general election debate

The British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has claimed he will agree a new trade deal with the European Union by the end of next year if he wins the UK general election next month.

He has gone head to head with UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in the first live TV debate of the campaign there.

Mr Corbyn, meanwhile, promised to deliver on the results of a second EU referendum if his party wins.

Palestine ambassador 'welcomes' Ireland's commitment after US decision on Israel

The ambassador of the State of Palestine to Ireland has welcomed the Government's commitment, following a change of US policy on illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

The administration of US President Donald Trump has declared that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are not illegal.

This is a shift in decades-long US policy in the Middle East. It is feared the move could stoke tensions in the area.

Student who claims to have developed narcolepsy after swine flu vaccine settles case

A student who claims she developed narcolepsy after taking the swine flu vaccine has settled her case in the High Court.

Aoife Bennett from Naas, Co Kildare told the court she couldn't get out of bed after getting the vaccine and was eventually diagnosed with the sleep disorder.

This case began last month and was expected to take up to ten weeks at a cost of millions of euro.

President Higgins signs gift voucher legislation into law

President Michael D Higgins has signed legislation, which gives consumers extra protection when buying or using gift vouchers, into law.

The Office of the President says the Consumer Protection (Gift Vouchers) Bill 2018 has accordingly become law.

It will see gift vouchers have an expiry date of at least five years from the date of contract.

Main image: The contract signed by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar for the National Broadband Plan at St Kevin's National School in Wicklow | Image: Merrion Street