Minister of State Catherine Ardagh announces Official Opening of POINT YDP in Tipperary, and Achievement of Full Nationwide Coverage of Youth Diversion Projects

• With official opening of POINT YDP in Thurles, Youth Diversion is available to all children and young people across the country.
• There are now 92 Youth Diversion Projects and 4 Targeted Youth Diversion Projects operating nationally.

18 June 2026

Minister of State with responsibility for International Law, Law Reform and Youth Justice, Catherine Ardagh attended the official opening of Providing Opportunities in North Tipperary (POINT) Youth Diversion Project in Thurles today. The YDP primarily covers Thurles, Templemore and surrounding areas of central Tipperary.

The official opening of this YDP marks the major milestone of full nationwide coverage of

Minister Browne welcomes strong momentum in new home commencements

New data released today by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage shows that the number of new homes that were commenced in May was over double the amount for the same period last year. The data suggests the momentum in housing construction output remains strong.

The latest figures show there were 2,099 new homes commenced in May of this year – an

Minister O’Brien highlights Ireland’s ‘remarkable progress on renewable electricity’ at Solar Ireland conference

• Solar is now the third highest supplier of indigenously generated electricity to the national grid
• Solar is now a key pillar of our electricity supply, from rooftop installations to utility-scale solar farms
• Just over 10 years ago there were 2 MW (Mega Watts) of solar in Ireland. Now there are over 2.5 GW (Giga Watts)

Minister for Climate, Energy, and the Environment Darragh O’Brien today highlighted the continued, remarkable growth being made in the deployment of solar energy across Ireland, and its contribution to a secure, sustainable, and affordable energy future for generations to come.

Speaking following today’s Solar Ireland conference in Dublin, the Minister said that

Chef Karl Wilder joins Secret Street Tours Board of Directors

Chef Karl Wilder

Milou is on his way to Buenos Aires

Chef Karl Wilder, founder of The Chef Tours, joins the board of Secret Street Tours Dublin, advancing social impact, cultural tourism and storytelling.

"Whether someone is sharing a meal or sharing their life story, the common thread is human connection," said Wilder.”

— Karl Wilder

DUBLIN, IRELAND, June 18, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Chef Karl Wilder Joins Board of Secret Street Tours Alongside Founder Tom Austin and Brian Ingarfield

Secret Street Tours, the Dublin-based nonprofit

Statement by Minister McEntee on agreement between the US and Iran

I welcome the announcement that an agreement has been reached between the US and Iran to solidify the ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

I hope there can now be a full engagement by all involved to implement this agreement, address all issues including Iran’s nuclear programme, and achieve a just and lasting peace across the region.

Re-opening the Strait to international shipping would bring much-needed relief to the global economy.

The situation in Lebanon is deeply concerning and must also be addressed.

I will be discussing these latest developments with my EU colleagues when we meet today in Luxembourg.

Joint Statement on advancing the Canada-Ireland Partnership Dublin, June 13, 2026

Taoiseach Micheál Martin today welcomed the Prime Minister of Canada, the Right Honourable Mark Carney, to Dublin. The leaders reaffirmed the deep and enduring relationship between Canada and Ireland, rooted in shared history, democratic values, close people-to-people and business ties, and a common commitment to international law, human rights, democracy, rule of law, transatlantic relations and multilateral cooperation. The

Minister Heydon meets European Commissioner Jessika Roswall

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD, met the European Commissioner for the Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, Jessika Roswall, as part of her visit to Ireland this week.

The meeting covered a broad range of topics including priorities for the upcoming Irish

Minister Lawless launches new Apprenticeship in Robotics and Automation and Tertiary Degree in Agricultural Science at Louth and Meath Education and Training Board

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD, visited Louth and Meath Education and Training Board (LMETB) to officially launch a new apprenticeship in Robotics and Automation as well as a new Tertiary Degree in Agricultural Science.  

Minister Heydon and Dooley extend closing date for the Fishing and Aquaculture Registered Vessel Fuel Support Scheme

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD and Minister of State with special responsibility for Fisheries, Timmy Dooley TD have announced an extension to the closing date for the Fishing and Aquaculture Registered Vessel Fuel Support Scheme to 5pm Wednesday, 17 June.

Minister Heydon said:

"We have seen a strong response to the Fishing and Aquaculture Registered Vessel

Minister Heydon publishes the Bord Bia Independent External Board Effectiveness Review

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD, has today published the Independent External Board Effectiveness Review of the Board of Bord Bia.

The review was commissioned by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and carried out by Governance Ireland.

The review found that Bord Bia has an effective, capable and committed Board, with strong