ireland.com - The Irish Times

British and Irish 'partners in peace' - Ahern
Relations between Britain and Ireland had changed fundamentally for the better, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said in the first address by an Irish head of government to a joint session of the British houses of parliament. p

Anti-arthritis drug withdrawn from sale
A drug used by thousands of Irish patients was ordered to be withdrawn in the Republic yesterday after it was linked to liver failure in nine patients, three of whom have died. The drug is sold under brand names such as Aulin, Mesulid and Mesine. p

Locals shocked at deaths of mother and girl
Neighbours in the busy Letterkenny estate where the bodies of Catriona Innes (26) and her seven-year-old daughter Katelyn were discovered yesterday spoke of their shock at what had happened. p

Election2007

FF says Opposition dodges debate
Fianna Fáil launched another strong attack on the Opposition parties yesterday, accusing them of avoiding debate on the economy and of failing to back up promises with details of how they would be costed. p
Smaller parties kick off debates tonight
TV debate: The leaders of the four smaller political parties will debate the general election issues in a one-hour Prime Time special on RTÉ television tonight. p
Hearing on voter ratios begins
Court action: The High Court has begun hearing a challenge by two Independent TDs to the "manifestly unconstitutional" manner in which certain Dáil constituencies have been revised. p
Green Party continues to rule out any pact before the election
Green briefing: The Greens attempted to position themselves yesterday to join the alternative coalition of Fine Gael and Labour after the election but the party leader continued to rule out any form of pre-election pact. p
Labour pledge for disadvantaged
Labour briefing: Five per cent of the National Development Plan budget will be ringfenced for early investment in disadvantaged communities, the Labour Party has promised if elected to government. p
Controls on prices promised in 'rip-off Ireland'
FG briefing: Fine Gael has promised to introduce a series of policy measures to reduce the high cost of living. Describing Fianna Fáil as the "godfather of rip-off Ireland", Fine Gael finance spokesman and former enterprise minister Richard Bruton committed his party to reforming the public sector and including consumers in future social partnership negotiations. p
No one safe as FG could regain seat
Constituency profile: Dublin South East: If ever one could speak of an identikit Fine Gael constituency it has to be Dublin South East. Represented for 23 years by former party leader and taoiseach Garret FitzGerald, the constituency overlaps with Dublin 4. p
New FG team unlikely to make breakthrough in this battleground
Constituency profile: Dublin North East: Dublin North East is a key constituency, an intense battleground in deciding whether there will be a Fianna Fáil- or Fine Gael-led government. p
New boundaries and FF animus threaten Cassidy
Constituency profile: Longford-Wesmeath: A new constituency with some old faces, Longford-Westmeath will be a weathervane for wider national trends. Fine Gael needs two seats here if it is to have any hope of forming the next government; the same result for Fianna Fáil would bode well for its prospects of staying in power. p
Tipp seat signals balance of power
Constituency profile: Tipperary North: When one looks back over the elections of the last half a century, a definitive pattern emerges in Tipperary North that has nationwide implications. p
Independent Breen fittest to survive FG 'Darwinian' strategy
Constituency profile: Clare: Having been the county which first elected both Daniel O'Connell and Eamon de Valera, Clare is a constituency which prides itself on electoral firsts. p
Campaign trail
An election miscellany. p
Early bird Oisín catches juicy worms in Hanafin's back yard
On the canvass: Johnstown Primary School. 8am. Oisín Quinn hits the morning wearing a red woolly cap and a dark overcoat to fend off the unseasonal drizzle. He is carrying a large sandwich board which in turn carries a large picture of himself, writes Tom Humphries. p
At a glance. . .
. . .what happened yesterday p

Westminster Address

Thanks, Bertie, you did us proud
Yes, Bertie Ahern from Drumcondra. That was you. Guest of honour in the Palace of Westminster, like statesmen Yeltsin and Mitterrand and Clinton before you, feted by the Commons and the Lords and thoroughly deserving of your place in history, writes Miriam Lord , at Westminster. p
Many prominent figures attend Ahern's address
Attendees: Leading figures from the worlds of politics, business and sport attended Taoiseach Bertie Ahern's address to a joint session of the British houses of parliament. p
Taoiseach's address
Ireland and Britain: a shared history - a new partnership. p
Statement by Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny
I am delighted to attend today's event at Westminster which I regard as fitting acknowledgment of the mature and positive relationship between Ireland and Britain. p
Introduction of Taoiseach by British prime minister Tony Blair
Mr Speaker, Lord Speaker, Taoiseach, my lords and members of the Commons, your excellencies, distinguished guests, it is nearly 10 years since I had the great honour of being the first British prime minister to address the joint Houses of the Oireachtas in Dublin. p

Other Stories

Concern about liver side-effects of nimesulide expressed since 1999
A formal review of the safety of nimesulide at European level will start next week, writes Dr Muiris Houston , Medical Correspondent. p
Swiss company defends safety of its product
The Swiss company behind the drug ingredient suspended by the Irish Medicines Board (IMB) vowed to defend its position but would not comment on the future prospects of its plant at Mulhuddart in Dublin, which makes the product in question. p
Centre reports 3.5% rise in rape and abuse calls
The number of people reporting rape and sexual assault to the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) increased last year, according to the centre's annual report. p
Adams denies claim on McCabe killing
Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams has denied a claim by the widow of murdered Garda Jerry McCabe that he only condemned her husband's killing for the first time yesterday. p
'14,000 pensions delayed' due to IT problem
Up to 14,000 people have had to wait up to six months to begin receiving their contributory old age pension as a result of problems with a €27 million computer system at the Department of Social and Family Affairs in Sligo, a public sector union has claimed. p
Promotions feature in Defence Forces ombudsman cases
Grievances about non-selection for promotion, career courses and overseas service accounted for most of the cases investigated by the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces last year. p
Filipino dancers mark launch of Summer in Dublin 2007
Summer in Dublin 2007, a programme of leisure, retail and cultural activities, was launched yesterday by Dublin City Business Association and Dublin City Council amidst a fanfare of colour and noise. p
Residents welcome rejection of Ballsbridge high-rise schemes
Local residents have welcomed the decision of councillors to reject a new area plan, coupled with rezoning proposals, for Ballsbridge in Dublin. p
Ballsbridge game is not over yet
High-rise developers are holding their nerve, writes Frank McDonald , Environment Editor. p

In the North

Review of NI domestic rates pledged
Assembly report: The North's Minister for Finance and Personnel Peter Robinson has promised Assembly members he will carry out a comprehensive review of domestic rates in Northern Ireland to establish if a fairer system can be implemented. p
Concerns at treatment of asylum seekers in North
The British chief inspector of prisons, Ann Owers, has expressed concern about how asylum seekers detained in Northern Ireland are handled by the authorities. p

In the Courts

Travellers settle action to secure suitable caravan
An elderly Traveller couple in poor health living in a "temporary" decrepit caravan on a halting site for seven years have settled their legal action aimed at securing a centrally heated and plumbed caravan. p
Appeal court overturns driving bans for speeding
Motorists who lost their licences for speeding have told an appeal court that the judge who put them off the road refused to listen to any excuse. p
Man changes plea in murder trial and admits killing brother
A Cork man has pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin to the manslaughter of his brother after stabbing him six times in the chest and leg during a row at their family home. p
Man loses rape appeal on age mistake grounds
A young Cork man has lost a High Court move to overturn his conviction for the statutory rape of a 14-year-old girl on grounds that he "honestly believed" the girl was aged 17. p
Men say diocese liable for abuse
A legal action in which three men allege they were sexually abused by a priest in the diocese of Ferns, and that the diocese is liable for the alleged abuse, was described by a High Court judge yesterday as "extremely important". p
In Short
Other court stories in brief. . . p

Morris Tribunal

False reports demoralise gardaí - ex officer
The senior officer in charge of the Donegal division during the Richie Barron investigation has said false allegations demoralise gardaí and undermine public confidence in the force. p

Changing Places

Hidden world of the sex traffickers
Three women who came to Ireland with the promise of good jobs say they were forced to have sex with men. Ruadhán Mac Cormaic reports from Romania and Dublin in his continuing series Migration and the reinvention of Ireland. p
'I was like a cow they were going to buy'
ANNA'S STORY: Anna's journey to Ireland began on the internet. An Asian woman in her mid-30s, she hadn't done any telesales work before, but the job - Dublin-based, with a good wage - made no mention of experience. p
Trafficking
Trafficking or smuggling? Smuggling, while often done in dangerous or degrading conditions, involves migrants who have consented to be transferred from one country to another and there may be no deception involved in the (illegal) agreement. p

Regional News

Shell refuses to move gas project
The site of the proposed Corrib gas refinery near Rossport in Co Mayo, the focus of a bitter dispute for years, will not be moved, Malcolm Brinded, the Royal Dutch Shell executive in charge of exploration and production, told the annual general meeting of the company yesterday. p
What the shareholders thought of it all
A former Shell employee (executive secretary) of 37 years who did not want to be identified but is a registered shareholder said: "Jobs are very important and Shell is a huge employer all over the world. It will bring hundreds of jobs to Ireland. But people should never have to move their homes because of a project." p
Future of rural pubs under threat, group warns
Rural pubs are closing down at the rate of one a day because of the smoking ban, drink-driving laws and high running costs, the president of the Vintners' Federation of Ireland, Paul Stephenson, claimed yesterday in Monaghan. p
Publicans to seek gaming law change
Rural publicans are to mount a campaign to change the law to allow them install a limited number of gaming machines in pubs to increase their turnover. Currently, slot machines are not allowed in pubs. p
Council to sue over spread of sewage
Wexford County Council has indicated that it plans to take legal action against Dublin City Council following the spreading of untreated sewage on agricultural land in the county. p

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