INMO says health workers ‘applauded then abandoned’

New figures show that 60% of healthcare workers who contracted COVID-19 are still sick.

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation has told the Oireachtas COVID-19 committee that 4,823 healthcare staff remain ill.

As of midnight on Saturday, 8,161 healthcare workers had contracted the virus – just short of a third of all the cases in Ireland.

The INMO said one-in-ten of the country’s cases involved nurses – with 88% of those contracting the virus in work.

Report calls for quarantine regulations to be lifted

Travel restrictions on foreign travel and the 14-day quarantine for people arriving in the country should be lifted by July 1st, according to a report sent to the Government.

The interim report from the Taskforce for Aviation Recovery says Ireland is now "significantly behind" other EU member states in lifting border restrictions, despite success in containing the coronavirus.

The taskforce includes representatives of Irish airports and airlines, as well as academics, unions and regulators.

It was set by the Government two weeks ago to make recommendations on what needs to be done to assist the Irish aviation sector to recover from the COVID-19 crisis.

Rejection of Government deal may spark “political crisis”

The Taoiseach has warned there is no Plan B if the programme for government is rejected this week.

The memberships of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party are continuing to vote on the programme today with a result expected on Friday.

In an exclusive interview with Newstalk Political Correspondent Seán Defoe, Leo Varadkar said a rejection will lead to a “political crisis.”

Meanwhile, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin made a similar claim on Newstalk Breakfast.

McHugh says government deal will “undermine and demoralise” climate action

Green Party activist Saoirse McHugh has said entering government with Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil could “undermine and demoralise” the Irish people’s appetite for climate action.

Members of all three parties are continuing to vote of the programme for government with results expected on Friday.

On The Hard Shoulder this evening, election candidate Saoirse McHugh said a lot of the things being touted as wins for the Green Party in the programme for government have been “a bit overegged in the media.”

She said the plan does not offer enough on housing and health – and labelled the Agriculture strategy “abysmal.”

Sinn Féin will “step in” if government deal rejected

Sinn Féin says it is ready to step in if members of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael or the Greens reject their programme for government this week.

Postal voting on the government deal is continuing this afternoon, with all three parties due to announce a result on Friday.

The result is very much in the balance, with the Green Party needing a two-thirds majority to get it over the line.

Meanwhile, the leaders of Fine Gael leader and Fianna Fáil said rejection of the deal would spark a “political crisis.”