This afternoon.

Iveagh Garden Hotel, Dublin.

Labour Party leader Brendan Howlin launches his party’s Generel Election 2020 manifesto.

Asked about entering government with Sinn Fein, Mr Howlin said:

“There’s two phases in that. I think one of the mistakes all of us in the left made in the past is we were picked off, attacking each other.

The Greens went into government with Fianna Fáil and they were demolished. We went into government and we were demolished.

We need to have an alliance of progressive thinkers who could set out a platform of investment to solve this crisis. Once we have that, I’m happy to sit down with Sinn Féin.”

“I’m happy to sit down with Sinn Féin but the caveat I’ve entertered and I entered this on every occasion, is there is a fundamental issue of trust. Now I have served in government and it collapsed on the basis of trust, government, between different parties, only can survive on the basis of trusting one another.”

Hmm.

Brendan Howlin Would Consider Working In Government With Sinn Fein (Irish Examiner)

Leah Farrell/RollingNews

This afternoon.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin addresses the annual general meeting of the Irish Farmers’ Association in Dublin.

Green Party leader Eamon Ryan is scheduled to address the meeting at 3pm, while Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is scheduled to address it at 6pm.

UPDATE:

Last night, during the RTÉ Leaders’ Debate, a man in the audience asked the leaders what they would do, if in Government, in relation to the proposed reduction of the national suckler herd.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said Fine Gael does not support reducing the national herd and said “that’s not part of our policy”.

He said there are other ways to reduce agricultural emissions.

He said beef farmers have had a very hard time and they often feel they are being “climate shamed” and “blamed for climate change”.

Mr Varadkar added: “I think that’s wrong. And I think that should stop.”

Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said he believed the current agriculture system in Ireland is not serving Irish farmers. Instead, he said it’s serving the “big beef processors” and retailers.

He said the Green Party would support a smaller suckler herd while supporting alternative income streams for farmers.

Asked if he specifically agreed with the herd being reduced by 53 per cent, as suggested by Climate Change Advisory Council, Mr Ryan said:

“And at the same time, farmers’ income increase 53 per cent. That’s the change we need to make, so our farmers are better off by spending less, by delivering a product that we get a premium from here and abroad.”

Previously: Meeting Is Murder

Pic: Irish Farmers’ Association

UPDATE:

Tomorrow.

The new Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy bridge over the River Barrow between Glenmore in Co Kilkenny and New Ross, Co Wexford, will be officially opened.

It is now Ireland’s longest bridge at 887m.

They’ve built the bridge and gone over it! First people cross Ireland’s longest bridge in South Kilkenny (KCLR)

Pics via SkycamIreland

Uh-oh.

EARLIER:

This morning.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar was canvassing in Galway city when he was asked about comments made by Senator Catherine Noone in which she described him as “autistic”.

During a media scrum Mr Varadkar said:

“…but you know, it’s not about me. I just think that we all need to be very aware and very respectful of people who have autism and people who are on the autism spectrum and we need to understand that those terms should never be used in a pejorative way at all.

“And this is a Government that has prioritised autism, you know, we have more ASD units than ever before, more special needs assistants than ever before, more special classes than ever before and also we provided €2million this year for an autism awareness campaign, to educate the public better about understanding what autism and autism spectrum is.

“And we know that isn’t enough…but it is, it’s a good start and we’re going to build on it.”

Asked if Ms Noone should be sanctioned by Fine Gael, he said:

“No, like I say, she’s withdrawn her remarks in full and she’s apologised to those people she’s offended and that’s good for me.”

When it was put to him that Sinn Féin councillor Paddy Holohan had been suspended, over comments he made, and that “surely a suspension is warranted”, Mr Varadkar repeated that Ms Noone had apologised, withdrawn her remarks and that that was “good enough for me”.

He was asked by one journalist how he felt personally about the comments, while another asked if he is still encouraging people to vote for Senator Noone who is running for a seat in Dublin Bay North.

He said: “I encourage people to vote for all of our Fine Gael candidates. Richard Bruton and Catherine Noone are candidates in that constituency.”

Asked by another journalist if he’ll canvass with Ms Noone, Mr Varadkar shrugged and said: “It’s not on the schedule yet but I’m sure I will at some point.”

EARLIER:

Rain Man.

Earlier: Not Literally [Updated}

Behold: Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (Comet CG) – as photographed in 2015 by ESA’s robotic Rosetta spacecraft, which orbited the thing from 2014 to 2016. The image shows the emerging jets which create the comet’s characteristic tail and will eventually lead to its destruction. To wit:

The picture shows plumes of gas and dust escaping numerous places from Comet CG‘s nucleus as it neared the Sun and heated up. The comet has two prominent lobes, the larger one spanning about 4 kilometers, and a smaller 2.5-kilometer lobe connected by a narrow neck. Analyses indicate that evaporation must be taking place well inside the comet’s surface to create the jets of dust and ice that we see emitted through the surface. Comet CG (also known as Comet 67P) loses in jets about a meter of radius during each of its 6.44-year orbits around the Sun, a rate at which will completely destroy the comet in only thousands of years. In 2016, Rosetta‘s mission ended with a controlled impact onto Comet CG’s surface.

(Image:  ESA, Rosetta, NAVCAM)

apod

This morning.

Clane, County Kildare

Slightly Bemused writez:

“Spotted on the street outside a shop in my home town. A mobility scooter for a mobility impaired gentleman blocking the path for other mobility impaired people.

What is worse is I know the owner, and he gets really upset when his way is blocked!”

FIGHT!

Political Anorak writes:

Leo on the News last night (right) and partner Matt (left) in a Sunday Independent photo shoot at Christmas.

Who owns it? Possibly Leo since Matt has his hand in his pocket which is a bit of a giveaway when a coat’s too big for you… Or possibly a 2 for 1 deal?

We may never know.

Broadsheet.ie