Here are today’s top stories on Independent.ie
Revealed: €476m budget for housing still unspent as crisis grows
Nearly €500m of the Government’s housing budget for the first nine months of this year was not spent, according to a secret memorandum given to ministers last week.
Kilkenny car thief killed after stealing vehicle with innocent girl (16) in the back seat previously survived knife attack
A 16-year-old girl with special needs was sitting alone in her parents’ car when a thief stole the vehicle. Just minutes later, the criminal had crashed the car, killing himself and leaving the teenager with life-changing injuries.
Unclear if Simon Coveney will donate money received from rugby star accused of stealing to charity
Simon Coveney is refusing to say if he will give a €2,000 donation he received from a former Irish rugby international accused of stealing over €500,000 from Bank of Ireland to charity.
Davy Fitzgerald accused of failing to repay €284,400 in loans
Davy Fitzgerald, the Waterford senior hurling manager, is alleged to have failed to pay a financial firm €284,413 in loans taken out by the GAA star that are secured on a house in which his sister lives in Sixmilebridge, Co Clare.
Elon Musk reactivates Donald Trump’s Twitter account but former US president vows not to return
Donald Trump says he had no interest in returning to Twitter even as a slim majority voted in favour of reinstating the former US President, who was banned from the social media service for inciting violence, in a poll organized by new owner Elon Musk.
‘She makes me feel very proud to be Irish’ – Eamon Dunphy pays emotional tribute to Vicky Phelan
More than a quarter of would-be gardaí are failing fitness tests
Potential garda recruits are failing fitness tests at a rate of 25 to 30pc, according to internal Garda documents.
Woman who killed two booze-binge friends in arson attack is to be released from prison
Rachel Crawshaw, from Mallow, Co Cork, but of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to the unlawful killing of John Palmer (37) and Greg Lonergan (36), at Granary Court, St Joseph’s Road, Mallow, and to committing arson at the same address between March 12 and March 13, 2014.
Fraudster solicitor suing Taiwan Ireland Association in bid to see its audited accounts
A former solicitor is suing the Taiwan Ireland Association and its chairwoman Dr Angel Cheng for damages because it has allegedly refused to give him a copy of its audited accounts.
Malcolm Macarthur ‘breaks his silence’ on GUBU murders of 1982
Double murderer Malcolm Macarthur has spoken for the first time about the “grotesque, unbelievable, bizarre and unprecedented” (GUBU) events of 1982.
