Prison Infrastructure: Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan has signed the contract for a major expansion of Cloverhill Prison, with capacity set to rise from 433 to more than 700. The 22-month project, awarded to JJ Rhatigan & Co, will add a four-storey extension to Block D with 143 new cells for up to 270 prisoners, as part of a wider programme to tackle overcrowding. Transport & Local Business: Roadworks at Parkmore Junction on the N83 near Galway Racecourse will be cleared ahead of Race Week after councillors raised safety concerns following multiple collisions, including issues for HGVs turning left. Housing & Construction Pipeline: GeoDirectory figures show 1,067 residential buildings under construction in Laois as of Q2 2026, with 618 new address points added over the year and vacancy at 2.7% (below the national 3.7%). Industry & Trade Compliance: Enterprise Minister Peter Burke says an independent review into Aughinish Alumina found “no adverse findings” linking alumina exports to Russia’s weapons industry, but noted a lack of verifiable internal trade data since Ukraine’s invasion. Sustainability & Packaging: Footprint has acquired Transcend Packaging’s PE-free hot and cold cup and lid solution, using a mineral-based coating aimed at home-compostable and recyclable performance across Europe. Aquaculture Tech Investment: Hatch Blue has invested USD 2m in Nernst Electric, a Bray startup developing on-site oxygen generation for fish farms to cut reliance on trucked liquid oxygen.