This is now officially our most successful Olympics ever:

• We have three gold and two bronze already on necks

• Our previous most medals was six in 2012, and that included only one gold

• Our previous most golds was three (in 1996 (all to Michelle)) and we've equaled that now

So whether Kellie wins gold or silver it's six medals and shinier than 2012.

The final is on Tuesday.

County Down have two gold medals, produced the best pommelhorser in the world, and the fastest 800m freestyle swimmer.

Ireland have 3 gold medals now, equalling Atlanta 1996. And Kelly Harrington still to come and might make it 4

He's spinning 4th, the 1st is just starting.

It would be County Down's second gold at this games.

O

Households earning up to €90,000 a year would be eligible to buy affordable homes starting at €300,000 under a new Sinn Féin affordable housing plan – but the State would retain ownership of the land the homes are built on with ongoing conditions on the sale and rent of the home.

The plan, unveiled by the party in Dublin today, also promises rents at or below €1,000 a month, with renters and purchasers who earn too much to qualify for council housing but who cannot purchase a home being targeted.

EU standard VAT is 23%, but we usually charge a lower rate on energy: 13.5%. It'll is likely to go back to that at the end of October, having been temporarily 9% since May 2022. If they extend the 9% thing, it'll cost the government €319 million. A further complication of State policy is that the planned increase in carbon tax – which operates like an excise duty on fuel – will add to prices of most fuels in 2025 and raise a hefty €160 million for the exchequer (much of it ring-fenced for environmental and social spending).

Advice to cut VAT on bikes and e-bikes from the standard 23% to 13.5%

An interesting proposal understood to be in the mix for budget day is a cut in VAT on internet connections from 23 per cent to 13.5 per cent. This would cost around €60 million and would benefit households (by about €40 a year on average) and businesses.

Is 9% VAT returning for hospitality? The lower rate on hospitality applied from November 2020 – in the wake of the Covid-19 downturnbusiness – until August 2023, when it reverted to 13.5%. The sector is calling for a return of the low rate, but that'd cost €764 million a year

New homes could also be taxed at the lower 9%. The civil servants don’t like this either, arguing that there is no guarantee it would be passed on to buyers. If applied to all new houses it would cost €721 million a year, which makes it look unlikely.

Heat pumps might also see their VAT cut.

Experts believe that Irish tax revenues will have to increase in the medium term to meet the cost of ageing and climate change. Revenues based on fossil fuel cars will drop off sharply assuming the switch to electric cars is successful and the exchequer will have to look at a way to replace these. The Fiscal Advisory Council estimatedhttps://www.irishtimes.com/business/economy/2024/02/28/switch-to-electric-motoring-will-cost-exchequer-25bn-in-lost-tax-revenue-by-2030/#:~:text=The%20switch%20to%20electric%20motoring) the annual losses would climb to €2.5 billion by 2030. The council – and previous Tax Strategy papers – have looked at ways to do this, via measures such as taxing cars on their weight, or congestion charges. None of this will feature in Budget 2025. Also, the EU Commission, the OECD and the Commission on Tax and Welfare have all argued for measures to get more revenue from VAT and broaden the base over time.

Counting my chickens before they've hatched I know

Related to: https://lemmy.ml/post/9176011

Wiffen came first in the heats, the final is starting shortly....

Ok maybe silver.... at least.... come on Ireland

(Sez you: didn't you make this post a week ago? Sez I: different sport)

Galway v Armagh at 3:30, so about 75 minutes after this post.

This is going to be incredible. The most evenly-matched final in ages. My prediction: a draw.

Watch

Here's an old comment about watching GAA online

It's on RTÉ2 (which is on daddylive, though I'm not promising the stream will work smoothly), on BBC Sport NI, and on GAAGO Abroad (with DRM)

• Record 133 athletes

• Why no women's hockey? We're usually good at that.

• Rowing: Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy (lightweight double sculls) are back after gold in Tokyo: https://olympics.com/en/olympic-games/tokyo-2020/results/rowing/lightweight-men-s-double-sculls

• In women's boxing: Kellie Harrington has every chance of another gold. She is 34 now. Aoife O’Rourke is absolutely a gold-prospect too and has four European golds on her matelpiece.

• Men's boxing: Aidan Walsh got bronze four years ago.

• Swimming: Daniel Wiffen has world records, is 22, would be disappointed not to be on a podium or two. He is in three events.

• Women's 400m: Rhasidat Adeleke may be the most famous athlete in Ireland now

• Men's gymnastics: Rhys McClenaghan has all sorts of laurels, underperformed in Tokyo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhys_McClenaghan

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/18310182

https://invidious.materialio.us/watch?v=0WY3tuOZsGc&listen=1 / https://invidious.perennialte.ch/watch?v=0WY3tuOZsGc&listen=1 / https://invidious.flokinet.to/watch?v=0WY3tuOZsGc&listen=1

https://telefis.bandcamp.com/

http://www.telefis.ie/

Sinn Féin would require an official audit of the existing capacity of local services before an accommodation centre for asylum seekers is opened.

Sinn Féin will also recommend that a “two-tier system”, in which Ukrainians enjoy better conditions than asylum seekers from other countries, should end.

Local residents would be entitled to take part in a formal process of consultations.... nobody would have a veto on the location of facilities for asylum seekers.

Clare versus Cork in a rerun of the 2013 final

Throw-in is at 3:30, so about 80 minutes after this thread

I had an RTÉ2 link, but it's gone down now 😔, maybe someone good at finding these things can find it. rte.ie/player might work with a VPN - or watch reddit /r/teilifis for a download later