November 11: Today’s top stories in 60 seconds

First Ulster Bank accounts to be frozen from today

As part of its phased withdrawal from the country, Ulster Bank will today begin freezing the first tranche of customer account from today. The development comes as the Central Bank said just 38% of the current and deposit accounts in the departing Ulster Bank and KBC Bank Ireland that were open at the start of this year have so far been closed, leaving around 770,000 still open.

RTÉ

Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement

A seven-judge Supreme Court will give its judgment on a challenge by Green Party TD Patrick Costello against the constitutionality of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (Ceta) between the European Union and Canada today. Ceta is primarily designed to reduce tariffs and increase trade between the two regions.

thejournal.ie

Minister says childcare providers’ protesting is ‘unwarranted’

Hundreds of childcare providers across the country are expected to close in protest at what they say is an inadequate funding model, leaving thousands of parents without childcare provision. The Federation of Early Childhood Providers (FECP) said around 500 of its members funded through the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) scheme will take part in today’s closures. Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman said the protests are “unwarranted”, and that the first year of this model is “a first step”.

Breaking News

Price of a pint

Price of a pint set to increase by 50c in the coming weeks as Heineken Ireland hike the price of a keg. The move has been blasted by publicans, who demanded the brewer “stop this madness” as costs increase across the board. The Vintners’ Federation of Ireland (VFI) have said that it is “extremely concerned” about the impact the move will have on the trade.

Irish Examiner