Evening top 5: Accelerated COVID-19 re-opening; summer schools; and ‘no progress’ on Brexit – Newstalk

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has outlined further steps for re-opening the country.

It followed a Cabinet meeting on Friday, where the next phase of the roadmap was discussed.

Mr Varadkar announced that it is safe to move to phase two of the plan, starting on Monday.

Seven more people have died from COVID-19 in Ireland.

Latest figures also show that there are 28 new confirmed cases of the virus here.

This brings the overall death toll to 1,760 with a total of 25,163 cases.

The Government has confirmed that a summer education programme is to take place for children with significant special educational needs and those at greatest risk of educational disadvantage.

It was announced as part of an acceleration of the roadmap to re-open the country.

Education Minister Joe McHugh said it is "a stepping stone" to help some young people ahead of the next school year.

A woman in the UK has spoken of her hurt and offence at a decision to block her from using an Irish-language inscription on her mothers gravestone.

Margaret Keanes family want the words In r gcrothe go deo inscribed on her gravestone in the St Giles burial ground at Exhall, Coventry.

However, a Church of England judge ruled that the inscription must have an English translation alongside it so that it wont be mistaken as a political statement.

The EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michael Barnier says the UK is 'continuing to backtrack' on the commitments it has undertaken in the political declaration.

He made the remarks on Friday following a fourth round of negotiations for a new partnership between the European Union and Britain.

The talks have centred around fisheries, free and fair competition - the so-called level playing field' - guarantees protecting people's fundamental rights and freedoms, and the governance of a future relationship.

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Evening top 5: Accelerated COVID-19 re-opening; summer schools; and 'no progress' on Brexit - Newstalk