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Good Morning

The 9 at 9
ESRI worried about corporation tax reliance, peat extraction laws not being enforced, and a Fine Gael MEP ponders Presidency run.

7.41am, 26 Jun 2025

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LAST UPDATE

GOOD MORNING.

Here’s all the news you need to know as you start the day.

Economic uncertainty

1. Ireland’s finances may be as vulnerable now as they were in the lead-up to the financial crisis of 2008 because of the government’s reliance on windfall tax revenues from international corporations.

That’s the assessment of the Economic and Social Research Institute, which has published an economic forecast today that recognises the Irish economy’s “robust state” but also highlights some key factors posing significant threats to growth and stability.

2. The ESRI’s economic forecast also said that Ireland needs around 40,000 more people employed in the construction sector if the government wants to reach targets of 50,000 new homes a year.

Another 40,000 would also be needed if the government intends to fulfil promises made in its National Development Plan (NDP), which includes building the infrastructure needed for new housing developments.

Peat extraction

3. The Environmental Protection Agency has said that local authorities are “conspicuous in their lack of enforcement” of environmental law when it comes to operators of illegal, large-scale peat extraction.

The EPA has investigated 38 sites across seven counties where large-scale commercial peat extraction is being carried out without any of the necessary authorisations from the local authorities, calling it “flagrant violations” of environmental law.

4. US President Donald Trump met with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of a Nato summit, and suggested that increased spending by the transatlantic alliance could help prevent future Russian aggression against its neighbours.

Benjamin Netanyahu

5. Trump has also weighed in on his ally Benjamin Netanyahu’s long-running corruption trial, describing it as a “witch hunt” and calling for the Israeli prime minister to be exonerated.

EU-Israel trade

6. EU Justice Commissioner Michael McGrath has said that the suspension of trade between European countries and Israel cannot happen unless conclusive and unanimous changes are made to EU foreign policy.

Áras an Uachtaráin

7. Fine Gael MEP Seán Kelly has not ruled out a potential presidential bid and would like the candidacy to be contested within the party.

8. Closing arguments are expected to begin in the high-profile trial of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs today after weeks of painstaking testimony.

9. Contactless payments on Dublin’s rail, bus, and tram routes are not expected to be fully operational until 2029, Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien told the Oireachtas Committee on Transport.

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