Good morning.There is much coverage this morning of the official State apology. Habitually the scene of hot-headed division, it was a sombre occasion in the Dáil when the Taoiseach made the official apology to the victims of Bill Kenneally, who sexually abused boys in Waterford in the 1980s. The Taoiseach acknowledged the failure of senior gardaí to act appropriately on complaints and also the failures of two senior members of Fianna Fáil who were related to the sex offender. “I am profoundly sorry that two former public representatives from my party so comprehensively failed to defend and protect young children from their nephew and cousin,” he said. “There is no question about the duty public representatives have to put the safety of others first, and I repeat the fact that two TDs, Billy Kenneally snr and Brendan Kenneally, failed in that duty to the victims of Bill Kenneally.”Marie O’Halloran’s report is here.The victims sat in the Distinguished Visitors’ Gallery. Miriam Lord describes the scene eloquently.The apologies are often very important to victims and survivors, though cynics might say that the State is becoming a bit incontinent with them. This is the sixth in the last decade. On the other hand, in the history of Ireland, there is much for which to apologise.Strait confusionOur lead story today is about further wild swings in the US position on the Strait of Hormuz.Having declared on Monday that the US would charge a 20 per cent tariff on ships passing through the straits (in violation of the international law of the sea), US ‌president Donald Trump said on Tuesday ‌that trade and investment deals with the Gulf states will replace the fee. Who knows what he’ll say today. Meanwhile the two sides continued to exchange fire. Iran fired ballistic missiles at a US airbase in Jordan and the US attacked Iranian targets for five hours in a battle for control of the Strait of Hormuz that has pushed up oil prices to four-week highs.That will inevitably lead to further price increases at the pumps – and therefore further pressure on the Government to act on the cost of living. One group estimates that the war in the Gulf has added €23 to an average home heating bill.All this comes at a time when Ministers and senior officials are supposed to be finalising the size of budget for next year, to be signalled in next week’s summer economic statement and delivered in October. This is one of the things that is going on behind the scenes in Government right now and it is fierce: there was a tiny window opened up yesterday at the Budget Oversight Committee, where officials from the Department of Public Expenditure (or DPer, as it’s known) were questioned about their attempts to impose budget discipline on overspending departments which are busting their allocated budgets. Three Government departments are now subject to “special measures” relating to spending, Jack Horgan-Jones reports.DPer has been attempting to recoup the cost of overspending in the Department of Education from other departments. How’s that going? Other Government departments have to bring forward proposed savings and efficiencies before the end of this week, Jack reports. “However, the committee was told that no department has submitted its proposals yet.”E-scooter banIs a ban on e-scooters on the way? Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly told an Oireachtas committee that he agrees with calls for a ban on e-scooters, saying society would be “better off” without them.He made the remarks at the Oireachtas justice committee where Martin Lynch, the father of Grace Lynch – who died after being hit by a scrambler bike – said scramblers, e-scooters and e-bikes have “been a scourge to this country for years”.New regulations came into effect in April to fully implement a ban on the use of scrambler motorbikes in public places. However, e-scooters are legal for over 16s at a maximum speed of 20km/h.Earlier on Tuesday, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he is “leaning towards” a total ban on e-scooters as the Dáil discussed the issue following incidents resulting in deaths and serious injuries.Cormac McQuinn reports.Ann WiddecombeOn to political violence in the UK. Police say it now appears that Ann Widdecombe was killed in a “targeted attack”, and antiterrorism police are now leading the investigation. Widdecombe was a former Tory MP who defected to the Brexit Party and subsequently Reform UK, Nigel Farage’s party. She was a prominent social conservative with a high profile through entertainment programmes such as Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity Big Brother. If she was killed because of her views, it’s another line crossed in UK politics.Mark Paul says there is familiar fear resurfacing at Westminster. Best readsA good piece on RTÉ by former board member and Web Summit co-founder Daire HickeyKen Early on tonight’s England vs Argentina semi-final – “fear and loathing, hatred and envy, fire and fury, magic and madness”Want your books to look well-read? There’s a service for thatStrong policing presence on this one: 84 gardaí escort 42 deporteesPlaybookTaoiseach Micheál Martin will take his final Leaders’ Questions of the summer today at noon, after which a raft of Government legislation will rattle through the Dáil in advance of the week’s voting block this evening. The adjournment is due at 10.30pm, a relatively civilised hour for the day that’s in it. Over in the Seanad, the Occupied Territories Bill will pass through its final stages. Once President Catherine Connolly has signed the Bill into law, Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee will seek to commence it quickly, she said yesterday. It’s a busy day of policy-heavy work at the committees. At 9.30am the disabilities committee will discuss ageing complexity and health needs of people with intellectual disabilities; the health committee will hear from visiting doctors and other experts on what they think the priorities are for the next cancer strategy (an area of significant progress by the Irish health service); the Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly is in to talk about road safety at the transport committee; there are pre-budget submissions from advocacy groups at the social welfare committee; the future of Carlow College at the education committee; plug-in solar technology at the climate committee; recruitment of veterinary nurses at the agriculture committee; and several issues including the purchase of Israeli bonds by the Central Bank at the finance committee. Full details of all Oireachtas business here.We’ll have earned a cool drink after all that. Perhaps while watching a certain football match. Kick-off is at 8pm.