A sharp increase in people with multiple addictions (62% vs 48% last year), including cocaine and alcohol, was reported by Rutland Treatment Centre; as 16% of users seek help for cocaine addiction, the creation of a dedicated resource is a 'key objective'

Deadline for submitting nominations for the elections is reached: over 600 candidates are on the ballot in 43 constituencies; this is the first election in which political parties must achieve a 40% gender quota, or risk losing half of their state funding

The Dublin Fire Department experienced the busiest Halloween night of the decade, with the number of calls more than double compared to last year, with a total of 494 fire calls, 421 of which were Halloween-related

"It was like a bomb was dropped on us" declared the parents in protest against the plan to move the secondary school 8 km away, from Ongar, in northwest Dublin to Hollywoodrath

It will be a criminal offence to destroy or allow to be damaged the records of 250.000 survivors of historical institutional abuse, under legislation that was fast-tracked this week by Children's Minister Roderic O'Gorman