A system capable of sending emergency warnings directly to the public’s mobile phones is set to move forward, reports RTE.
Minister for Communications Patrick O’Donovan will seek Cabinet approval to procure the services required to establish a cell broadcast public warning system, reports RTE.
The Office of Emergency Planning will oversee the system, which will be used to alert the public about extreme weather events.
The technology is already widely deployed in other countries and could be up and running in Ireland as early as next year, reports RTE.
It enables localised alerts based on mobile mast locations and is unaffected by network capacity, congestion or character limits.
Once the technical infrastructure is confirmed, telecommunications operators will be required to integrate it into their systems, reports RTE.
The Government regards this technology as a key additional channel for communicating with the public, alongside television, radio and social media.
Govt set to support FAI in Women’s Champions League final bid
Minister O’Donovan will also ask the Government to back the FAI in a potential bid to host the UEFA Women’s Champions League final in Dublin in 2029, reports RTE.
Ireland is among four countries expressing interest in hosting, alongside Wales, France and Switzerland.
Ireland has a strong track record of staging European finals at the Aviva Stadium, having hosted two previous UEFA Europa League Finals there, reports RTE.
The FAI believes the Irish bid has a strong chance of success.
Proposal for mandatory use of gender pay gap portal
Minister for Children, Disability and Equality Norma Foley is bringing a memo to Cabinet to make it compulsory for employers to use the new gender pay gap reporting portal, reports RTE.
Every organisation in Ireland with more than 50 employees is already legally required to report its gender pay gap, but may currently do so by publishing the relevant information on its own website.
Proposed amendments to the Gender Pay Gap Information Act 2021 would make it mandatory for these employers to submit their data to the State’s new gender pay reporting portal from 1 November this year, reports RTE.
The portal is already live and available for voluntary use by employers, and will be fully searchable by members of the public.
Maximum fee cap to be announced for childcare
Minister Foley will also announce details of a new maximum fee cap for early learning and childcare services, reports RTE.
This will lower the maximum fees that can be charged by new and existing early years providers receiving Core Funding from the State.
It is expected to reduce childcare costs for some parents by hundreds of euro each year, with a particular focus on services currently charging the highest fees, coming into effect in September, reports RTE.
It will be backed by Government funding of over €480 million for more than 4,600 early years providers under the State’s core funding scheme.
The current weekly cap for a full-day childcare place of between 40 and 50 hours per week stands at €295, reports RTE.
Minister for Social Protection Dara Calleary will also update the Government on the Holiday Hunger Initiative, which will support more than 42,000 children most at risk of educational disadvantage.
A pilot project run last summer highlighted the importance of providing meals during the school holidays, and Minister Calleary is now seeking to extend the scheme, reports RTE.
The Department of Social Protection is also set to announce details of this year’s back to school clothing and footwear allowance, which will for the first time extend coverage to two and three year olds.
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