1. State to take over Irish Water in Fine Gael-Fianna Fáil deal
The parties have agreed the outline of a deal on Irish Water that should allow a minority government to be put in place next week.
At the centre of the agreement is the suspension of water charges until a new charging system with generous allowances is put in place and a process that will see Irish Water changed from a commercial entity to a public utility.
The net effect will be that a significant proportion of households will no longer have to pay water charges. Analysis: a compromise has been reached but minority government will not be easy. Miriam Lord writes: After a short Tangle in the Quadrangle, it looks like we may finally have a government. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Minister for Health Leo Varadkar has ruled out making individual constituency deals with TDs for the provision of health services.
2.The inexorable rise in human life expectancy
Life expectancy has increased in a spectacular fashion over the past 150 years. There has been a four-decade increase in average length of life over the period since 1850. Globally, life expectancy has more than doubled, from about 25 years to about 65 for men and 70 for women.Until recently, most experts, while recognising improvements in survival rates, have assumed that there is a hard upper bound on the length of life. Meanwhile, in news that will surprise some, it has emerged that Ireland spends the largest share of government expenditure on health of any country in the EU. Government expenditure on unemployment, as a percentage of overall spending, is also the highest in Europe, while spending on old age is the lowest, new figures show. Health accounted for 19.9 per cent of general government spending in 2014, compared to an EU average of 15 per cent. Ireland's health service got proportionately more than the NHS in Britain (17.3 per cent) and about four times the share enjoyed by the health systems of Greece and Slovakia.
3. Dutiful Queen turns 90 but A-word taboo
Monarchs do things differently. Should their birthday fall in a chilly month, for example, they are free to declare another, sunnier date. So while Queen Elizabeth's actual birthday is today, her official birthday is celebrated on a Saturday in June. This is why her 90th celebrations today are a trifle muted and no jolly street parties or parades will feature on news bulletins. That is all to come in June, when special late pub licences are gleefully anticipated in headlines such as "Cameron announces two-day bender for queen's 90th birthday" and "Grog save the queen". The #Drinkforthequeen hashtag will undoubtedly generate more retweets than #Cleanforthequeen, an idea from Keep Britain Tidy to encourage subjects to clean up for the big day, urging: "What better way could we show our gratitude to her majesty than to clean up our country?" One Guardian columnist declared that she "would rather swim in sewage than clean for the queen", a sign perhaps that not everyone is in celebration mode. Prime minister David Cameron will lead the tributes with a "humble address" in the House of Commons and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, a lifelong republican, will follow up with an encomium of his own.
4. Colours of week and tasty riffs on menu at Trinity
Some people can taste the letters of the alphabet while others can taste the sound of a guitar, or see colours when faced with music – a sensory "crossover" known to doctors as synaesthesia. Also known as "sensory cross-activation" it happens when the brain makes unusual connections between sensory centres that it would not normally be able to make. Those with synaesthesia get a more complex response, for example hearing colours, tasting words or feeling flavours. Synaesthesia will be up for discussion from today when Trinity College Dublin hosts an international three-day conference on the subject in conjunction with the UK Synaesthesia Association. Meanwhile, DCU's business school has received a global accreditation, official recognition from the world's oldest accrediting body for business schools that will see the university join the top 5 per cent of business schools internationally.
5. Take your pick
Conor McGregor 'retirement' highlights UFC power struggle: The latest on the Dubliner who has repeatedly tested the limits of Dana White and his low-paying organisation
Senior Garda officers criticised over disciplinary measures: Gsoc head says force must take greater responsibility rather than deferring to watchdog
St James's Hospital bans taxis from entrance following abuse: Staff repeatedly subjected to verbal intimidation and racial abuse by drivers
Student Hub feature on Ciara Mageean, Ireland's 23-year-old Olympic hopeful: David Gorman talks to the Portaferry athlete due to run in the 1,500 metres for Ireland at the 2016 Olympics
Liverpool rout sorry Everton to take bragging rights: Too late for the title but will the coveted fourth-place berth be possible?
