ireland.com - The Irish Times

More stoppages planned as nurses' talks fail
The Government is facing a new series of daily work stoppages by nurses and midwives in hospitals around the country following the collapse last night of talks aimed at resolving their dispute over pay and conditions. p

Work halts at ancient site on M3 route in Meath
Just 24 hours after Minister for Transport Martin Cullen turned the sod on the €850 million M3 motorway in Co Meath it has been confirmed that a site of archaeological importance has been discovered. p

Conroy rules out pepper spray for all gardaí
Garda Representative Association conference: Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy has decided to reject a recommendation by the Garda Inspectorate that pepper spray be issued to all members of An Garda Síochána. p

Drivers warned of possibility of M50 tailbacks
Motorists using the M50 will be "terrifyingly vulnerable" to traffic gridlock and long tailbacks for the next six months during upgrade work on the motorway, Conor Faughnan of AA Ireland has warned. p

Election2007

War of words over pension plans
FF briefing: There was charge and counter-charge between the two largest parties as a political row blew up yesterday on the issue of pensions. Claims by Fine Gael's Richard Bruton that Fianna Fáil proposals for a new SSIA-type pension scheme had blown a "black hole" in their economic plans were dismissed as "bluster" by Minister for Social and Family Affairs Séamus Brennan, who challenged him to a debate on the issue. p
Tribunal woes haunt Ahern
FF leader: The Taoiseach went canvassing in two of Dublin's biggest suburbs yesterday as questions about the Mahon tribunal continued to haunt him. p
Greens seek rise in capital gains tax, but support corporate rate
The Green Party's economic and taxation policy has committed the party to maintaining corporation tax at its current rate of 12.5 per cent. p
Tax breaks to target low earners - Sargent
Green Party launch: The Greens would direct tax breaks at the people who needed them most, the party leader Trevor Sargent said yesterday at the launch of his party's economic policy document. p
Kenny says voter anger about public services is 'palpable'
FG leader: The public's anger with the Government about public services is "palpable" on the streets, according to Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny. p
McDowell criticises 'flip-flops' by Greens on motorway plans
PD transport policy: The Progressive Democrats have claimed that the Green Party's transport policy would threaten plans to build motorways between Dublin and the other main cities. p
Society under strain, says Labour
Rabbitte's briefing: The Labour Party yesterday attempted to highlight differences between itself and the current Government in 10 key areas the party said had a significant impact on the quality of life of Irish families. p
Ahern refuses to elaborate on Larkin payment
Taoiseach's house: Taoiseach Bertie Ahern yesterday refused to give any further detail about the £30,000stg his then partner Celia Larkin received in December 1994 from a Manchester businessman, Michael Wall. p
Ahern waited three years to buy house from landlord
Taoiseach's property transaction: Bertie Ahern was close to becoming Taoiseach when he first discussed moving into his home, writes Colm Keena p
Extra seat for two Meath constituencies
Meath is a county for which "commuterism" has become a catchphrase. Population changes which began before the 2002 election have since resulted in demographic transformation. p
Timing of Ahern events queried by 'Irish News'
Media: The Belfast-based nationalist Irish News newspaper has questioned the decision of Bertie Ahern to address the British houses of parliament and to invite first minister-designate the Rev Ian Paisley to the Battle of Boyne site during the election campaign. p
MacManus ill in hospital as Adams launches campaign
Sinn Féin: Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams last night formally launched the election campaign of Sligo/north Leitrim candidate, Cllr Seán MacManus, who missed the event himself, having suffered a minor heart attack on Monday. p
FG election director predicts gain of about 20 seats for the party
FG briefing: Fine Gael could expect to gain at least 20 seats in the next Dáil, the party's director of elections, Frank Flannery, said at a press conference in Dublin yesterday. p
Application could be decided on whim of local authority
Postal vote: Voters who have applied to cast their vote by post could have their application accepted or denied depending on which local authority handles their request. p
Document puts forward prudent grounds for Green Appeal
Political analysis: The Green Party has set out to show that it is living in the real world, both politically and economically. The publication of its economic policy document, Fairness and Prosperity, yesterday went a long way towards establishing its credentials on both fronts. p
Cautious approach may reap its rewards
The Greens have set out prudent yet cohesive policies, writes Marc Coleman , Economics Editor Economic analysis p
Odds stacked against any newcomers
Over the past 20 years Cork North Central has been one of the constituencies which not only offers a good barometer of the national mood but critically has been one of those constituencies with the potential to contribute to a change of government. p
Rabbitte survives Red Cow jam in search of a stamp-duty acronym
Miriam Lord with Pat Rabbitte
Bizarre - Enda Kenny.
Peculiar - Trevor Sargent.
Byzantine - Pat Rabbitte.
Wallpapergate is an acronym waiting to happen. An embarrassment of consonants are in place. Just a few vowels are needed now to elevate the strange story of Bertie's rented house to the minor Gubu league. p
My election
Catherine McDonnell , from Blackrock, Co Dublin, is the mother of a 7-month-old boy. p

Other Stories

President outlines need for inclusiveness
President Mary McAleese has said that, although Ireland owes much of its recent success to expanding access to education, there was much work to be done to make society more inclusive. p
Law soon that bread must have added folic acid
Legislation for the mandatory fortification of bread with folic acid will be in place by the end of the year, a conference on Irish dietary habits has been told. p
Water birth report calls for more staff support
An independent review of water births at Cavan and Drogheda hospitals, commissioned after the death of a baby last year, has made 19 recommendations, including the call for extra support for midwives when water births resume at the hospitals. p
Jen Kelly unveils latest luxurious collection
A little bit of spring with some autumn was the theme of yesterday's 38-piece collection from couturier Jen Kelly, shown in his elegant Dublin house and headquarters on North Great George's Street. p
Early diagnosis of lung cancer is key to survival
Most people with lung cancer are diagnosed so late they will survive on average for just six months. p
Record low in work days lost to strikes
There were fewer work days lost due to strikes last year than at any stage since records began in 1923, Minister of State for Labour Affairs Tony Killeen said yesterday. p
Six people arrested over fatal fire in Clonmel
Gardaí in Co Tipperary have arrested six people following the death of a woman in a house fire in Clonmel on Friday morning. p
Maternity hospital has skin infection outbreak
Infection control measures have been tightened at the Mid-Western Regional Maternity Hospital in Limerick following the discovery of four confirmed and one suspected case of a serious bacterial skin infection in infants born at the hospital. p
University of Cambridge to offer course in modern Irish
The University of Cambridge will this week begin a modern Irish language course, in a move designed to reflect the "rising enthusiasm for Irish studies as a whole". p
Chapter One continues its success story as top restaurant
Dublin restaurant Chapter One has been voted the best restaurant in Ireland for the second year running by the Restaurant Association of Ireland. p
Shell 'led astray' in gas project
The politicisation of the Corrib gas project was not the fault of Shell E&P Ireland, the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) oral hearing into the issuing if an integrated pollution prevention licence (IPPC) was told yesterday. p
Seanad hears call for big voter turnout
Seanad report: The penultimate sitting of the 22nd Seanad was marked by expressions of hope that the electorate would match the turnout of about 80 per cent in the recent first round of the French presidential election in the forthcoming general election. p
Consumer protection law comes into force
Pyramid selling, prize-draw scams, unwanted cold calling and making false claims about products and services have been outlawed under new consumer legislation which has come into force. p
In Short
A round-up of today's other stories in brief... p

In the Courts

State says HSE has no power to stop girl leaving
The State has told the High Court that the Health Service Executive has no legal power, by virtue of a care order, to direct the Garda to restrain a pregnant 17-year-old girl from travelling anywhere. p
Girl attends briefly as hearing date set
Barristers, solicitors and reporters all squeezed into tiny Court 19 yesterday as the girl at the centre of the latest abortion controversy sat quietly near the back of the room. p
Abortion not election issue - Harney
Minister for Health Mary Harney has said she does not believe that abortion would become an election issue as a result of the High Court challenge to a HSE refusal to allow a teenager to travel abroad for an abortion. p
Law may permit abortion in such cases
Government lawyers last year accepted that Irish law may actually permit abortion of foetuses that suffer from lethal abnormalities. p
Bail of €20,000 forfeited in Real IRA case
A Dublin man has been ordered to forfeit €20,000 in bail after the man whom gardaí believe is a leader of the Real IRA in the greater Dublin region breached his bail conditions. p
In Short
A round-up of today's other stories in brief... p

In the North

Joviality marks historic meeting
It was fadge not political fudge at Stormont yesterday, as DUP leader the Rev Ian Paisley and Sinn Féin MP Martin McGuinness held their first public engagement together when they met European Commission president José Manuel Barroso. p

GRA Conference

Members threatened by criminals
Organised crime gangs are offering to pay gunmen thousands of euro for the contract killing of gardaí who are investigating their activities, the annual conference of the Garda Representative Association (GRA) in Westport has been told. p
McDowell concerned over prisoner's call
Tánaiste and Minister for Justice Michael McDowell has said he has serious concerns with how the Irish Prison Service is being run. He made his comments after armed robber John Daly rang a radio chat show with a smuggled in mobile phone from the maximum security Portlaoise Prison. p

Regional News

Funeral of former GAA president in Cork
Family, friends and senior GAA figures joined to mourn the passing of former association president Con Murphy yesterday. p
Train users had to force entry to station
Iarnród Éireann has apologised to passengers who travelled on the early-morning Killarney to Dublin train yesterday after they had to break into the station to board the 6am train. p
Boyle anger at rejection of hotel
An Bord Pleanála's rejection of a 120-bedroom hotel on the shores of Lough Key near Boyle, Co Roscommon, has been met with anger by local campaigners. p
Results of Galway soil contamination study for review
The Environmental Protection Agency says it is reviewing the results of a study on Galway's South Park that found high levels of lead and arsenic in the soil. The grounds of three houses close to the municipal park on the Claddagh have also tested positive for the heavy metal contamination. p
Investigation of maize cargo under way
A Department of Agriculture investigation has been launched into a report that contaminated maize was imported here from the United States in early April. p
Gardaí in Cork still trying to identify man
Gardaí are still trying to positively identify a 51-year-old eastern European man who died in hospital after being found unconscious in a Garda cell with a head injury just hours after he was arrested in Cork city for criminal damage. p
Gardaí ask for help to find missing woman
Gardaí in Nenagh, Co Tipperary, have issued an appeal in relation to a local woman who has been missing for three days. p

Changing Places

Picking up the pieces after the comings and goings
Ruadhán Mac Cormaic reports from Poland in his continuing series, meeting families whose sons and daughters have gone to Ireland in search of jobs and higher wages Migration and the reinvention of Ireland p
Western promise drains social fabric of the homelands
On Gródek's main street, a horse and cart passes three old women sitting at the bus stop, one of them chewing on a hunk of bread, waiting for a bus that won't pass for hours. It's not yet midday, but already four local men are installed in the Killer Bar, sipping bottles of beer at the dimly lit counter. A sign in a shop window across the street advertises second-hand "Clothes from the West" selling at 15 zlotych (€4) a kilo. p

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