Good morning. It is only a couple of weeks since the Government was bracing for the impact of the Omicron wave of coronavirus and wondering if it could keep the schools open; now it’s dealing with the complications of reopening. Hundreds of thousands of people who have been working from home for much of the last two years are now wondering how and when they will return to their offices and workplaces in the coming weeks.
Last night the Opposition – or some Opposition parties, anyway – were calling for employees to have the right to work from home, if they wish. The Government will today agree a draft of legislation to give employees the right to ask to work from home – a very different thing altogether. It makes for our off-lead on this morning's front page. Tánaiste Leo Varadkar was out yesterday to give us his views on the subject – he expects it to "change the culture" of the workplace, he said.
In other pandemic matters, there was good news from Mike Ryan of the World Health Organisation who spoke to Jennifer O'Connell last night as part of the Winter Nights festival. Even if a new variant emerges, Ryan said, we should be alright. The Winter Nights sessions continue tonight.
Russian threat
But the biggest stories this morning are international. The Russian build-up of forces on the Ukrainian border continues, while Nato aid heads for eastern Europe. It's our lead story today.The expectation across most western media is that some sort of conflict is now very likely.
Nato countries will not go to war with Russia to defend Ukraine, but they will want to send a clear signal that they will not tolerate Russian action against Nato or European Union members. Western leaders have been clear that tough sanctions will follow any military action, but that is likely to be accompanied by building up the defences of western allies in the region.
United States and British diplomats are leaving Kyiv (though EU staff are staying, for now). It is the most dangerous international environment in many years. Nato troops have been put on “high alert” for possible deployment to eastern Europe, the New York Times has reported.
The Irish Government has made clear its displeasure about a Russian naval exercise a couple of hundred miles off the coast of west Cork, but Russia has pooh-poohed Dublin's concerns: "This is not in any way a threat to Ireland or anybody else. No harm is intended, no problem is expected," the Russian ambassador Yuri Filatov said yesterday.
But the timing is hardly coincidental. EU foreign ministers discussed the Ukraine situation yesterday, and the bloc is preparing a package of aid. But as ever the challenge will be reaching a common foreign policy position. There's a good analysis of how the West released intelligence data to the public to persuade Russia not to invade. Here's The Irish Times' view.
Downing Street
And if all that is as serious as it is frightening, the disintegration of Boris Johnson’s administration is becoming comical. The latest revelation from ITV News last night was that Johnson’s wife, Carrie, surprised him with a cake in the cabinet room in June 2020, and staff gathered around to sing happy birthday. There were also allegations, disputed by Downing Street, of a party for family members in the British prime minister’s flat later that evening.
Both gatherings would appear to be flagrantly in breach of the restrictions in place at the time – restrictions which Johnson and his ministers were exhorting people to follow on a daily basis. The chances of Johnson surviving this are diminishing all the time.
“You can’t have your birthday cake and eat it Boris!” screams the Sun. The story is splashed all over the British front pages. “Fresh outrage,” says the Guardian.
Meanwhile, better news on the Brexit front: Liz Truss met Maros Sefcovic yesterday, and some progress is reported.
Best reads
Why has divestment of Catholic patronage been so slow, asks Fintan O'Toole. While in a news piece, education editor Carl O'Brien proffers one reason – many parents are reluctant to change.
Fiona Reddan reports on an analysis by the Irish Tax Institute on the levels of income taxes paid by Irish workers in comparison to their international counterparts. Do we pay a lot of tax? Yes, if you are well paid, she says. No, if you are low paid.
Anne Harris on Boris Johnson and the revenge of scorned women.
Playbook
The Cabinet meets this morning with a busy agenda, including the Work From Home (right to ask for, not necessarily to get) Bill and a memo from the Department of Health which will see a new group set up under former UCD president Hugh Brady to assess the public health responses needed in the future. This is not, it is stressed, a new National Public Health Emergency Team, nor a review of Nphet. But you’ll imagine the subject of Nphet will come up in its deliberations.
Other agenda items include that €100 off your energy bill.
The Dáil meets at 2pm for Leaders’ Questions – with restrictions on numbers in the chamber gone(though masks will still be worn) – and there’s Taoiseach’s orals later after the weekly order of business.
Sinn Féin has a Private Members’ motion on the Leaving Cert, and there are housing questions at 7.30pm. The Seanad has statements on climate and agriculture, while it’s a busy day at the committees. The Ombudsman for Children Dr Niall Muldoon is in for pre-legislative scrutiny of mental health legislation, while representatives from the St Vincent de Paul and other organisations are in to discuss child poverty.
A full schedule of committee and other Oireachtas business is here. We'll keep you up to date on irishtimes.com throughout the day.
