Cork City Council is taking nearly two years to renovate council houses, spending more than any other local authority on upgrading its housing stock.

A strike by bin collectors in the Dun Laoighaire-Rathdown area of Dublin has been deferred following talks at the Labour Relations Commission.

THE BIG freeze may have given way to torrential rain but the country’s drinking water supply is still under threat due to burst mains pipes and over-usage during the cold spell.