Property prices
The average price of buying a residential property increased by 14.8 per cent nationally between January 2021 and January 2022 according to figures released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
The increase was slightly higher outside of Dublin (16 per cent), while the increase in the capital was noted as 13.3 per cent.
The median price of a home purchased in the 12 months to January was found to have been €280,000 nationally.
Nato meeting
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said negotiations with Russia are continuing, with the Kremlin's demands for ending the war are becoming “more realistic”.
Despite the improvements in diplomacy, Russian forces have continued to blast Ukraine’s capital region and other major cities as they attempt to crush a Ukrainian defence which has frustrated their progress.
Tributes to Irish cameraman
Tributes have been paid to an Irish cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski, who was killed when the vehicle he was travelling in was hit by shelling on the outskirts of Kyiv on Monday.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin extended his condolences to Mr Zakrzewski's family, commending him and his fellow journalists for doing so much to "shine a light on these terrible atrocities".
Speaking on Thursday, Mr Zakrzewski's brothers described him as a "free spirited" person who loved his job and believed it was important to reveal the truth of the conflicts he covered.
Mater hospital
The Mater Hospital in Dublin is asking members of the public to avoid attending its Emergency Department (ED) as services are under "extreme pressure".
A statement released on Wednesday morning said: "Hospital services are under extreme pressure due to a combination of a large number of people contracting Covid, high numbers of presentations at the ED and high levels of staff absences due to Covid-19."
Those with non-emergency conditions are asked to seek treatment from other areas of the health service, such as minor injury units or their GP.
