ireland.com - The Irish Times

Garda plan seeks to deter armed gangs
A major Garda security plan involving specialist armed units and the force's helicopters is to be put in place across Dublin in a bid to deter armed gangs from staging more hostage robberies. p

Fine Gael, PDs launch election billboards
Fine Gael and the Progressive Democrats launched rival new billboard campaigns yesterday to promote their respective party positions in the run-up to the general election. p

Garda gets suspended sentence for theft of €700
A 27-year-old Garda convicted of stealing €700 which had been handed in at Sligo Garda station, was yesterday given a two-year suspended sentence. p

Other Stories

New Aer Lingus baggage charges introduced
Air travellers seeking bargains face substantial fare increases from today with the introduction by Aer Lingus of baggage charges on short-haul flights. p
Trinity suspends acting degree course
The director of the Abbey Theatre, Fiach Mac Conghail, has expressed his dismay at the decision of Trinity College Dublin (TCD) to halt intake into its renowned three-year undergraduate degree course in acting studies with effect from this autumn. p
Hayes says Taoiseach interfered in hospital site
Fine Gael claims it has evidence of political interference by the Taoiseach in the choice of the Mater site on the north side of Dublin as the location for the national children's hospital. p
Site review calls rejected by Harney
Calls for a fresh review of the decision to locate the new national children's hospital on the campus of Dublin's Mater hospital were rejected yesterday by Minister for Health Mary Harney. p
Mater hospital site larger than critics think, says HSE engineer
Criticism of the new children's hospital is aimed at a building not yet designed, writes Frank McDonald , Environment Editor p
Hospital moved patient for 'care' reasons
Dublin's Mater hospital would not comment last night on allegations made yesterday by a woman about her treatment there. p
There's nothing worse than a reformed Rottweiler
Two new poster campaigns, one policy launch, a Minister flashing his billions. p
NRA predicts hour off Dublin to Cork journey
Journey times between Dublin to Cork will be cut from about 3½ hours currently to just 2¼ hours when construction work on roads linking the two cities is completed by 2010, according to the National Roads Authority (NRA). p
Rape crisis centres back plan for March referendum
Rape crisis centres have welcomed the Government's plans to hold a referendum next March that would address the fallout of the statutory rape controversy. p
Killeen under pressure over abuser letter
The Rape Crisis Network has called on Fianna Fáil to clarify its position relating to representations on behalf of convicted criminals after it emerged that two representations seeking the early release of a convicted child rapist had been made in the name of a junior Minister. p
Irish beef exports to Saudi Arabia may resume, Ahern told
Irish beef sales to Saudi Arabia should resume once safety standards have been agreed, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia told Taoiseach Bertie Ahern yesterday. p
Greens want to reduce number of prison places
The Green Party has proposed a reduction in the number of prisoners and prison spaces in the Republic in the medium to long term under a series of reforms of the penal and criminal justice system. p
1,100 affordable homes planned for Dublin
Over 1,100 affordable homes are to be provided in Dublin under plans announced yesterday by the State-sponsored Affordable Homes Partnership. The proposed housing developments are earmarked for the Lucan area and for Killiney. p
Resuscitation equipment faulty, claims prison nurse
A claim by a nurse at Wheatfield Prison in Dublin that resuscitation equipment used to attempt to revive a prisoner who hanged himself was faulty has been vigorously denied by other nurses who medically attended the inmate. p
Group to plan health care licences
A new group has been established by the Minister for Health to draw up proposals for the licensing of all healthcare providers in the State including public and private hospitals, diagnostic centres and plastic surgery and fertility clinics. p
Folens widow condemns RTÉ's allegations
The widow of the late educational publisher Albert Folens has condemned allegations made last night on RTÉ, which claimed her husband was a member of the Gestapo. p
An Taisce warns State over loss of wildlife
An Taisce has warned that Ireland will not meet the EU deadline of 2010 to halt the loss of native wildlife unless it takes immediate steps to stop damaging practices being permitted by State agencies. p
Protecting nature
10 ways you can make an impact p
6,000 new employees needed every year in tourism
College Choice: Tourism employs almost 250,000 and generates more than €5.3 billion per annum for the Irish economy. p
In Short
A round-up of today's other stories in brief... p

Missing Fishermen

Dives to find 'Père Charles' crew fall foul of weather
Attempts to recover the bodies of five fishermen thought to be aboard their sunken trawler had to be called off again yesterday after a team of divers were unable to enter the vessel on the sea-bed. p
Fund set up for crewmen of sunken trawler
A fund was established yesterday to benefit the eastern European crewmen of the Honeydew II, which sank in heavy seas off Co Waterford last Thursday. The fund will also benefit the wife of the Kinsale-based trawler's missing Polish fisherman. p
Naval Service accused of failing to monitor signalling system
A trawler skipper and close friend of missing Kinsale fisherman Ger Bohan has accused the Naval Service of failing to properly monitor a signalling system which would have alerted them much earlier to the disappearance of Mr Bohan's boat. p

In the Courts

Shell denied protesters earlier jail release, High Court told
Shell E&P Ireland allowed five Rossport men to languish in prison for several weeks after the company had agreed to cease work on its controversial onshore gas pipeline pending the outcome of a safety review by the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, the High Court was told yesterday. p
Family pleads for information on murder
The family of murdered Dublin woman Siobhán Kearney (38) has appealed to anyone with information about her killing to come forward to "clear their conscience and release us from this hell". p
Gardaí question man over Saulite murder in Swords
Gardaí were last night questioning a close associate of murdered drug dealer Marlo Hyland about the shooting dead in November of Latvian mother of two Baiba Saulite. p
Decision today on alleged Garda leak
The High Court will rule today on a case in which the State is being sued for damages by a family who claim they had to leave their home in Co Kerry because gardaí allegedly told the media that their nephew, a convicted rapist, was living with them. p
McBrearty walks out of tribunal again
Morris tribunal: Donegal publican Frank McBrearty jnr yesterday walked out of the Morris tribunal for the fourth time. p

In the North

President says time for NI deal limited
Agreement between the parties on policing and powersharing would represent a momentous step for both communities in the North, President Mary McAleese said yesterday, but the opportunity was "time-limited". p
SF to host public meetings on policing
Sinn Féin is to host a series of seven public meetings which, the party says, forms part of its public consultation on policing before the special ardfheis on January 28th. p
Omagh case defence puts final submission
It would be a travesty of justice if the man accused of the Omagh bomb atrocity were convicted, his barrister yesterday told the judge who will decide on his guilt or innocence. p

Regional News

Ex-employees angry over Greencore €500m site plan
Former Irish Sugar workers in north Cork have reacted angrily to a proposal by Greencore to spend €500 million on the redevelopment of the site at the old Mallow sugar factory. p
Businessman in 'serious' condition after Longford fire
A Co Longford businessman was in a serious but stable condition in hospital yesterday after being badly burned in an attempt to save his business from being destroyed in a fire. p
Decision on C&D Pet Foods expected soon
The biggest employer in the midlands will decide in the next few weeks whether to rebuild a major part of their plant, which was destroyed in a fire last year. p
Book of evidence warning in arson case
Charges against three teenagers in connection with an arson attack in which a young Limerick sister and brother suffered horrific burns could be struck out if the book of evidence in the case is not ready in two weeks. p
Kerry council to give stress counselling to firefighters
Specialised stress management counselling is to be made available to firefighters in Kerry who are dealing with an increasing number of road traffic accidents involving death and serious injury, according to Kerry County Council's director of services, Oliver Ring. p
Concern over Dunleer proposal
The group behind the proposed development of a "town centre" for Dunleer, Co Louth, has said it will "not clash with any plans to reopen the train station". p

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