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Informal inquiry to examine payments to Ahern
The Standards in Public Office Commission is informally inquiring into complaints that Taoiseach Bertie Ahern breached ethics legislation arising from payments of over €50,000 made to him by friends in the early 1990s. p

HSE says surgeries cancelled because of dispute
A number of hospitals had to cancel elective surgery yesterday as a result of the nurses dispute, the Health Service Executive (HSE) said last night. p

Blind man sues after audible signals turned off
A blind man has agreed a settlement of €4,000 with Dublin City Council after he sued the local authority for turning off audible crossing signals at pedestrian crossings. p

Rock memorabilia on display ahead of charity auction for New Orleans
The Edge calls it his New Year's Day guitar. He bought the 1975 Gibson Les Paul in a shop on 49th Street in New York City in 1982 with the intention of recreating the punk sound generated by Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones. p

Other Stories

Red alert as six of Bertie's finest are stuck in lift
You couldn't make it up. Lunchtime yesterday, and Ministers hurry away from their weekly Cabinet meeting. p
Lenihan unveils €22m extra for UN agencies
Irish Aid is to increase its core funding to United Nations development agencies from €62 million to €84 million. p
President will lay wreath at GPO to mark Easter Rising
The official commemoration of the 1916 Rising this year will involve a wreath-laying ceremony outside the GPO in Dublin on Sunday and a march-past by 350 members of the Defence Forces. p
Overcrowding affects 100,000 Junior Cert pupils
More than one in seven Junior Certificate students has special needs, learning difficulties or does not speak English as their mother tongue, according to new research. p
TDs reveal extensive portfolios
Extensive investments in property, land and shares held by a minority of TDs are revealed in the Register of Interests of Members of Dáil Éireann for 2006, which was published yesterday. p
Patries agree monitors for ministers
The main Stormont parties have agreed the share-out of scrutiny committees in what is seen as another significant step towards devolution next month. p
Rate of infected chickens above EU level
Just over one in four chickens reared in Ireland is infected with the salmonella bacterium, a survey by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has revealed. p
Judges hooked as Ennis artist rises to challenge
A 17-year-old student from Ennis, Co Clare, won €2,000 for his winning entry in the 53rd Texaco Children's Art Competition. p
Mount Anville nuns hand control of school to lay trust
The nuns who run the Mount Anville schools in south Dublin have become the latest religious order to hand over control to the laity. p
Structure of benchmarking process irking nurses
The INO says it has no faith in the terms of reference provided to the body charged with reviewing pay rates for its members, writes Martin Wall p
Judge's rebuff of solicitor for High Court
A District Court judge's decision not to allow a solicitor to appear before him in court is to be challenged in the High Court. p
Tributes to families of crash dead
A continuous line of mourners moved between two funeral homes in Castleisland, Co Kerry, last night to pay their respects to the family of two men who died together in a head-on collision on the N21 outside the town on Sunday morning. p
Galway councillor 'comfortable' in hospital
The Galway councillor who was due to begin a 12-month jail sentence yesterday was last night in a "comfortable condition" in hospital. p
Memorial to Maze hunger striker allowed to remain
A memorial in Lanesboro, Co Longford, built without planning permission to commemorate one of the Maze Prison hunger strikers who died in 1981, can stay in place, An Bord Pleanála has ruled. p
Findings are 'cause for concern', inquest hears
Third party involvement in the death of a Latvian national who drowned last year cannot be ruled out, deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis has indicated at an inquest. p
Judge says Wright could die in course of 30-year sentence
The judge acknowledged that Brian Wright might die in jail when he imposed a 30-year-sentence. Wright (30) was the Irish-born boss of the most successful global cocaine trafficking network ever discovered in Britain. p
Failure to fly Tricolour brought drug lord down
Customs officers were alerted when drugs boat docked in Cork with no flag, writes Barry Roche. p
Call for gardaí to get better firearms training
Gardaí need more modern firearms and better weapons training if they are to confront Ireland's growing gun culture as safely as possible, head of the Garda Inspectorate Kathleen O'Toole has said. p
Gang murder witnesses 'are refusing to testify'
Witnesses to gangland killings are refusing to testify against suspects or are leaving the witness protection programme, making convictions impossible in many cases, Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy has said. p
Cabinet approves use of stun guns for Garda response unit
The Garda's Emergency Response Unit (ERU) is to begin using stun guns following approval by Cabinet yesterday. p
Garda inquiry set to examine claims
Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy has ordered an inquiry into claims that serving gardaí were involved in the investigation of insurance claims on behalf of motor insurers. p
Maj Gen Earley appointed as chief of staff of Defence Forces
The Government has announced the appointment of Maj Gen Dermot Earley as the new chief of staff of the Defence Forces. p
New Aer Lingus charges unfair, says TD
Aer Lingus has been accused of discriminating against families by its decision to charge passengers up to €15 a flight for pre-booking short-haul flights within Europe. p
Grieving sister of murder victim to hold vigil
Anniversary of Irene White's death to commemorate 126 women who died violently in last 10 years p
Minister announces TG4 board members
Minister for Communications Noel Dempsey has announced the members of the new board for TG4. p
Family still living 'Sophie's tragedy'
Marguerite Bouniol did not hesitate for a moment when she was asked several weeks ago whether the family of Sophie Toscan du Plantier would participate in a vigil for 126 women murdered in Ireland over the past 10 years. p
Pearse's last letter to fetch €100,000
The final instructions of Pádraig Pearse, the leader of the 1916 Rising, handwritten and signed in a letter just hours before his death, could fetch up to €100,000 when it is auctioned at Adam's and Mealy's "Independence" sale on Tuesday, April 17th. p
Harney says dispute unfair to patients
Dail Report: The nurses' dispute was unfair to patients, Minister for Health Mary Harney told the Dáil. She said fairness demanded that disputes were fully explored and settled without distress to patients. p
Government told it should lead on green policies
The State has the power to lead by example on environmental issues through a policy of green procurement, the Dáil was told. p
Garda monitors Islamist threat, says Taoiseach
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern refused to be drawn on a report that there were up to six Islamic terrorist cells operating in Ireland in 2003. p
Empathy for mother of jailed councillor praised
Seanad report: House leader Mary O'Rourke commended the humanitarian feelings of a Fianna Fáil member who criticised the prison sentence imposed on a Galway county councillor. p
Limerick regeneration scheme approved
A massive regeneration plan for the most deprived areas of Limerick, involving the allocation of 100 additional gardaí and the demolition of 1,000 houses, was approved yesterday by the Government. p
FG criticises transport body delay
Five years after a Dublin Transport Authority was promised it has still not been established because Government favours special interests above the public interest, Fine Gael has claimed. p
People still held in 'poverty traps'
Individuals around the country will be "queuing up" for the St Vincent de Paul (V de P) society's help with first Communion expenses at this time of year. p
Judge Curtin's pension finalised
Former Circuit Court judge Brian Curtin has finalised his pension arrangements with the State almost five months after he announced his resignation from the bench. p
InShort
More news in brief p

Changing Places

Immigrants feel the cold in North
Douglas Gageby Fellowship: Despite electing the first Chinese-born politician in Europe, the North is an intolerance hotspot and intimidation is increasing, Ruadhán Mac Cormaic reports in his continuing series. Migration and the reinvention of Ireland p
What new arrivals make of red, white and blue kerbs
When Chin-ai Jin and her husband came to Northern Ireland early last year, it was the first time either had set foot outside China. Chin-ai's husband, a doctor, was offered a job at a clinic in Larne and they couldn't pass up the chance to see more of the world, despite knowing nothing about the North other than what could be casually gleaned from the internet, writes Ruadhán Mac Cormaic p

Regional News

Student body calls for election on a Friday
More than 70,000 third-level students will be disenfranchised if the Taoiseach insists that the general election is not held on a Friday, according to the president of the Union of Students of Ireland (USI). p
EC rules out 14-day notice of farm inspections
The European Commission has said it cannot give farmers 14 days notice of inspection of feed and food law, animal health and welfare and identification and registration of animals. p
Lost students claim property owner pointed shotgun
Four students have described in court how they encountered a man with a shotgun after they got lost in the Galway countryside. p
Travolta's private jet remains grounded at Shannon
A jet owned and flown by Hollywood star John Travolta was grounded at Shannon airport on Monday night after it developed a technical problem while travelling back to the United States. p

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