ireland.com - The Irish Times

Quarryvale hearings to resume in April
Owen O'Callaghan v Mahon tribunal case: The Mahon tribunal is to resume public hearings at the end of April into the controversial rezoning of land at Quarryvale in west Dublin, in which Taoiseach Bertie Ahern will be a witness. p

DPP defends handling of Murphy case
The Director of Public Prosecution, James Hamilton, has defended his handling of the Brian Murphy case. Conor Lally , Crime Correspondent, reports. p

Traffic garda arrested for drink-driving
A Garda superintendent appointed two weeks ago to take charge of traffic management and road safety in the Garda's western region has been arrested on suspicion of drink-driving. Conor Lally , Crime Correspondent, reports. p

Heaney work a unanimous choice
Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney has won this year's Irish Times Poetry Now Award for his latest collection, District and Circle . The award, in recognition of the best collection by an Irish poet in the past year, will be announced this afternoon as part of the Poetry Now Festival in Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin. p

Other Stories

Unrest triggers Justice Bill rethink
Rumblings from senior FF backbenchers in addition to Opposition pressure has prompted the Government to revisit the committee stage of the Criminal Justice Bill next week, The Irish Times has learned. p
Radio station item breached taste and decency standards
The Broadcasting Complaints Commission (BCC) has found that radio station Spin 103.8 was in breach of taste and decency standards when it broadcast an item about sex toys on a lunchtime discussion show. p
Taoiseach on Lissadell House visit
During the Famine it doubled as a soup kitchen but when Taoiseach Bertie Ahern dropped into the restored coach house at Lissadell House in Co Sligo yesterday, oysters and smoked salmon were on the menu. p
Online fraudsters preying on Irish consumers
Financial scams could be costing the Irish economy €350 million a year, according to the National Consumer Agency (NCA) and the Office of the Director of Consumer Affairs (ODCA). p
Frank Shortt 'reassured and encouraged' by public support
His phone has hardly stopped ringing since the Supreme Court increased damages awarded to him earlier this month, says Frank Shortt. p
Revised proposals put to Cork midwives
The rescheduled opening today of the new €75 million Cork University Maternity Hospital was hanging in the balance last night as some 250 midwives met to consider a series of revised proposals from the Health Service Executive (HSE) on staffing levels. p
Concerns at gap between sides in nursing dispute
There is growing pessimism that the talks between nursing unions and health service management over claims for improved pay and conditions will be able to avert a threatened work-to-rule by 40,000 nurses, which could begin from Monday. Martin Wall reports. p
SF promises medical cards for under-18s
Sinn Féin yesterday pledged to introduce medical cards for everyone under 18 years and said all new hospital consultant jobs should be public-only posts. p
Kenny says health being privatised by stealth
The Government's is trying "to privatise the public health system by stealth" by sanctioning private hospitals on public hospital grounds, Fine Gael leader, Enda Kenny has claimed. Mark Hennessy , Political Correspondent, reports. p
Leader fails to arrive on cue
Fine Gael suffered an embarrassing gaffe last night after party leader Enda Kenny was not ready to take to the platform when he was introduced to delegates on the opening night of the party's ardfheis in Dublin. p
10% of teenagers have high blood pressure - study
A study into fitness in young people has found that almost 10 per cent of 15- to 17-year-olds suffer from high blood pressure. Fiona Gartland reports. p
How fit are you?
To establish your level of fitness, take your pulse while resting, preferably first thing in the morning. p
Extra gardaí and housing proposed in Limerick crime report
One hundred additional gardaí and the demolition of 1,000 houses are among the key recommendations contained in a radical report aimed at tackling crime in some of Limerick's troubled housing estates. p
CCTV units in situ this year - Minister
Tánaiste and Minister for Justice Michael McDowell has announced 17 new CCTV systems will be in place in towns and city suburbs across the country by the end of the year. It will bring the number of schemes to 26. p
Decision of ombudsman upheld
The High Court has upheld a decision of Ombudsman and Information Commissioner Emily O'Reilly directing the National Maternity Hospital to hand over to parents submissions it made to the inquiry into the retention of organs of dead children. p
Court upholds convictions of 'Colombia Three'
Controversy over the so-called "Colombia Three" case has been revived by a decision of the Supreme Court in Bogota to uphold the 17-year sentences against the three Irishmen for training Marxist guerrillas in IRA bomb-making techniques. p
Greystones developers failed to address traffic issues, hearing told
The consortium proposing to redevelop Greystones harbour has failed to address issues relating to scale and traffic which were raised by An Bord Pleanála, it was alleged at a reopened oral hearing in Co Wicklow yesterday. p
Michelin men: chef says supermarkets 'controlling people's minds'
Chef Kevin Thornton has said Irish consumers need to search for good-quality food, as supermarkets are "controlling people's minds". p
Miriam Lord's week
Will teachers bend to Hanafin's bark? . . . The cause of Biffo's depression . . . Chipper attitude in east Belfast . . . Why the Senators' spam was blocked . . . Mansergh's mischievous streak . . . Why Dick Roche uses recycled posters . . . p
In Short
A round-up of today's other stories in brief. p

In the North

Parties working to agree executive by Monday
The four main Northern parties are working to agree by Monday the next Northern executive. They hope to decide by then which Assembly members should take the 10 executive departments to inject momentum into last Monday's ground-breaking decision by the Rev Ian Paisley and Gerry Adams to share power by May 8th. p

In the Courts

'Capt Cooke' sentenced to 10 years for assaults on children
The founder of the illegal Radio Dublin pirate station has been jailed for 10 years for sexually assaulting young girls at his home some 30 years ago. p
Man told to stop selling tiles from Dartmouth park
Athlone businessman Noel O'Gara has been told by a judge to stop selling tiles from Dartmouth Square Park in Ranelagh and to remove a caravan he had parked there. p
No criminal proceedings over baseball-bat fatality
There are to be no criminal proceedings in relation to the death of a Junior Cert student who died last year after she was accidentally struck with a baseball bat during an assault in Castleknock, Dublin, an inquest has heard. p
Diver became entangled, inquest told
A 24-year-old commercial diver lost his life after he became entangled in lines during a salvage operation on a yacht in Dublin Bay, an inquest has heard. p
Man who stabbed neighbour to pay €20,000 in compensation
A man who stabbed his next-door neighbour "in 30 seconds of madness" after being caught letting the air out of her car's tyre has been ordered to pay her €20,000 in compensation. p
Galway councillor's bail application refused
Galway county councillor Michael Fahy must go to prison next week after he was refused bail yesterday by the Court of Criminal Appeal. p
In Short
A round-up of today's other stories in brief. p

Mahon tribunal

Supreme Court finds in favour of tribunal
Majority judgment: The Supreme Court has cleared the way for the Mahon tribunal to further inquire into allegations made against Cork property developer Owen O'Callaghan after yesterday dismissing, by a four to one majority, the developer's bid to halt that inquiry. p
Inquiry would represent 'coarsening' of standards
Minority judgment: The Mahon tribunal has treated property developer Owen O'Callaghan unfairly to date and, as presently constituted, is not likely to treat him or associated others fairly into the future, Mr Justice Adrian Hardiman said. p

Regional News

Promise of €48m to tackle parasite crisis welcomed
Mayor of Galway Niall Ó Brolcháin has welcomed a promise by Minister for Environment Dick Roche to expedite €48 million in funds to tackle Galway's water pollution crisis. p

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