Ibrahim Halawa: A bigger outcry if his name was Paddy Murphy?

Not a good morning for Ibrahim Halawa, today beginning another day in jail more than three years after being arrested for protesting against the regime.

He is a Dubliner of Egyptian parentage and was visiting his family there when he and his sisters went to a protest at the al Fateh mosque.

Yesterday, his trial was postponed for the 17th time, as Ruadhan Mac Cormaic reports today.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Charlie Flanagan, stressed the Government has put all possible pressure on the Egyptian authorities to allow Mr Halawa to return to his home in Dublin, but Sinn Fein’s Lynn Boylan, a long-time campaigner for him, has been critical of the Government’s efforts.

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The Government strenuously rejects the charge and says it is doing all it can, and, in fairness, it is obviously not in the Government’s power to secure his release by simply demanding it.

But as AAA-PBP TD Mick Barry said on RTÉ’s Late Debate last night, there might be a bigger public outcry if his name was Paddy Murphy. Whatever your view of that, you would have to hope he gets out soon.

Meanwhile, there is a definite Christmassy air around Leinster House, as TDs clear the decks before the Christmas break begins on Friday. The Fine Gaelers had their Christmas drinks last night, so there will be a few hairy heads around this morning.

“Will we go to the Merrion beforehand?” asked a Minister of one of his colleagues, departing Leinster House about 8pm. No harm to get a few sharpeners in before meeting the ladies and gentlemen of the press, I suppose. Your correspondent, alas, was off home to work on your morning digest.

The big story yesterday, and the subject of extensive coverage in all the papers this morning, was Minister for Housing Simon Coveney's latest initiative to alleviate the difficulties many people have securing and maintaining a roof over their heads. Our front page story is here.

Fianna Fáil is withholding its approval, but it is not opposing the plan outright. Reactions elsewhere are mixed.

Property Editor Madeleine Lyons says landlords are underwhelmed by the plan, while housing and homelessness bodies have given a cautious welcome to some aspects of the plan.

On the op-ed pages, though, Donal McManus says it will do little to help renters.

Miriam's take is here.

Fiach Kelly has the inside story on how Coveney won over his colleagues, including – would you believe? – a sceptical Leo Varadkar.

Trouble ahead in industrial relations

The consequences of the Garda pay deal, secured by the Labour Court at the 11th hour before an unprecedented strike, continue to reverberate through Government.

Yesterday Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe brought the revised estimates to Cabinet, when he told Ministers the €50 million cost of the deal would not lead to extra spending but would instead have to be raised by savings, half in the justice budget and half in the rest of general Government expenditure.

The revised estimates volume – or “REV” in Government-speak – will be published tomorrow, days after the report of John Horgan emphasised how much better garda pay and pensions are than the rest of the public service.

Privately, many Ministers believe that what the gardai did was a stick-up, pure and simple. But we are where we are on public sector pay, as they say. The gardaí have gotten what they have gotten.

It has turned up the heat on Paschal something fierce, though, while simultaneously reducing his room for manoeuvre. The question of pensions will now be crucial in the calculations of the Public Sector Pay Commission. We have a leader on it here.

Unseasonal as it may be to observe it, there may be trouble ahead.