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Morning top 5: Polls to open around the country; Music industry mourns John Reynolds; Prison report highlights homelessness and addiction

Voting in the Presidential election and the blasphemy referendum begins this morning. Voters are...
Newstalk
Newstalk

06.48 26 Oct 2018


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Morning top 5: Polls to open a...

Morning top 5: Polls to open around the country; Music industry mourns John Reynolds; Prison report highlights homelessness and addiction

Newstalk
Newstalk

06.48 26 Oct 2018


Share this article


Voting in the Presidential election and the blasphemy referendum begins this morning.

Voters are also being asked whether to remove the reference to blasphemy from the Constitution.

Polls open around the country at 7am and will remain open until 10pm tonight.

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The Referendum Commission is encouraging people to use their vote today, amid fears turnout will be low after a lacklustre campaign.

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The Irish music industry's paying tribute today to well-known promoter John Reynolds, who's died aged 52.

His family confirmed his sudden death at his home in Dublin.

He was a nephew of former Taoiseach Albert Reynolds, and one of Ireland's leading independent festival and concert promoters.

Mr Reynolds was best known for setting up the Electric Picnic music and arts festival.

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There is confusion this morning over reports Fianna Fáil is set to run its first local election candidate in Northern Ireland.

The party last night insisted it was yet to make a decision on whether to contest local elections in 2019 – despite pictures emerging of Omagh Councillor Sorcha McAnespy with an election poster.

Meanwhile, the Taoiseach has pledged to listen to all sides of the community on Brexit and the peace process, when he visits Derry later.

Leo Varadkar will begin the visit by meeting senior members of the loyalist Apprentice Boys, before meeting community members in the nationalist Creggan area.

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People with mental health problems are being detained in prisons - instead of receiving professional medical care.

A new report from the Irish Penal Reform Trust has found Ireland's prison system falls short of international best practice.

The report also warns of consistent overcrowding in the country’s female prisons as a result of an increase in the number of women being detained.

Separately it warns that one-in-six prisoners identifies as homeless – with 70% reporting addiction issues.

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Engineers will carry out safety examinations of all 42 schools built by Western building Systems by the end of the mid-term break.

Two schools have already been closed down, while a third has been partially closed after concerns were raised over structural issues.

The Department of Education said it is working hard to find replacement accommodation for displaced students.

Meanwhile, concerns have been raised over the claim that Department officials certified the three closed schools caught up in the controversy as “fully compliant.”


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