HSE cyberattack
A report commissioned by the HSE into the major cyberattack on the health service earlier this year found the IT systems being used were “frail”.
The file used to launch the attack was opened at a HSE workstation on March 18th after the email had been sent to the “patient zero workstation” two days earlier.
Over the eight weeks following the opening of the file, a number of “alerts” were raised within the health service that the IT system might be compromised. However, the significance of the alerts had not been identified at the time.
Electricity credit
Every private home in the State is set to receive €100 off their first electricity bill next year under new plans set to be announced by the Government next week.
Two million homes will receive the credit in a bid by the Government to address rising energy costs.
Households will receive the credit regardless of income, though no commercial premises are eligible.
Another poll rise for Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin has climbed further ahead of Government parties in the latest Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI opinion poll.
Support for Sinn Féin has risen by three points to 35 per cent since the last poll in October, meaning the party's popularity has risen to a record level.
The latest results put Mary Lou McDonald's party 15 points ahead of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, which are both at 20 per cent.
Fuel protest
Truckers and hauliers are planning another mass demonstration on the streets of Dublin next week to protest fuel prices, which have reached an all-time high.
The Irish Truckers & Haulage Association Against Fuel Prices, which brought Dublin traffic to a standstill in November, is planning an even bigger demonstration on Monday.
The group claims the protest will last more than 24 hours, and it is calling on members of the public, the people of rural Ireland, taxi drivers and bus operators to join in.
New travel rules
Anyone arriving from Britain into Ireland will be asked to take daily antigen tests for five consecutive days after arriving in the country, the Government has said.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the advice, which will not be placed on a legal footing, had been taken due to the high volume of travel between the two countries.
