• Agreement on State funding of political parties emerging

  The first signs of an all-party consensus to change the system of political funding following the Flood tribunal revelations emerged last night. A move to increase substantially State funding for political parties now seems inevitable.

• People in need of Gaybo enjoy a generous helping

  People in Need hardly describes it. After a year of Friday nights without Gay Byrne on the television, people were nearly desperate. So there was huge relief last night when the great man returned to the nation's screens to front the seventh biennial Telethon.

• Statement from IRA on arms `within 48 hours'

  The IRA is expected to issue a statement within 48 hours saying it will put its weapons "completely and verifiably beyond use", in a dramatic move that could bring about restoration of the North's political institutions on May 22nd.

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