Previous Day
Businessman asked to bring 'a few bob' to help a friend
Manchester-based businessman John Kennedy told the Mahon
tribunal he was asked to "bring a few bob" to a dinner in
Manchester in 1994 to "help a friend". p
Coroner warns about cocaine-related deaths
The Dublin county coroner yesterday issued a stark warning about the dangers of using drugs including cocaine, which he termed "by far the biggest killer" of all. p
Ireland has fastest growing population in EU
Ireland has the fastest growing population in the EU, driven
mainly by continuing high levels of immigration. p
Other Stories
RTÉ chief defends broadcast despite errors
The author of a report into the controversial RTÉ documentary High Society has said that it is credible that a politician could have admitted to taking cocaine. pLegal adviser urges strict liability for sex with under-age girls
Strict liability for the offence of sex with an under-age girl should be reinstated as part of the criminal law, according to the rapporteur on the legal protection of children appointed to advise the Oireachtas. pCall for 'soft' vetting of child workers
A constitutional amendment to permit the "soft" vetting of those working with children is one of the recommendations from the rapporteur on child protection, Geoffrey Shannon. pStabbing suspect sought hospital help three times
Gardaí are still waiting to interview a man with mental health problems about the stabbing to death of another man in Dublin last weekend. pMany immigrants are opting to leave within a few years
Significant numbers of immigrants are leaving the country within a few years of arriving here, new official figures indicate. pFurther funding announced for community childcare
The Government has announced new funding arrangements for community childcare facilities which will allow working parents on low incomes to continue to receive subsidised childcare. pKeane accuses doctors of 'double standard'
Doctors in the Republics are sending their own family members to centres of excellence across the State or even abroad for cancer care but when it comes to other patients in their own communities they have a different standard, the Oireachtas health committee heard yesterday. pChildren attend psychiatric units
Children as young as six years of age were admitted to psychiatric units last year, according to a report out yesterday. pTributes paid to Gene Fitzgerald
Former government minister and MEP Gene Fitzgerald left a legacy
of achievement at community, county, national and European level,
Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment, Micheál Martin
told mourners at Mr Fitzgerald's funeral yesterday. pWomen's lot in workforce a 'mixed bag'
In the 30 years since the introduction of the Employment Equality Act the experience of women in the workforce has been something of a mixed bag, a conference in Dublin was told yesterday. pRobinson says irregular migration is a key issue
Irregular migration is "the key human rights issue of our time, globally and here in Ireland", according to former president Mary Robinson. pPrison officers halt work stoppages plan
The Prison Officers' Association (POA) has decided to abandon plans to stage one-hour work stoppages in prisons across the country today and on Friday. pEU agrees restrictions on beef imports from Brazil
Restrictions on Brazilian beef imports by the European Commission later today could mean that as few as 300 farms there will be allowed to export beef here. pMan held following incident with swords
A man was in Garda custody last night after being arrested armed with two swords following a domestic incident at his home. pSilent tribute paid to Japanese emigre
He corresponded with princes and presidents, but silence was the prominent presence at Matteo Matubara's funeral in Glasnevin yesterday. It was probably appropriate too, as he could neither hear well nor speak properly. pContainerholds list of1916 fallen
A 12-year-old girl killed in crossfire during the 1916 Rising
was one of those named on a time-capsule parchment which was
reburied at Glasnevin Cemetery yesterday. pTributes to late dean of Dublin's Christ Church
Many warm tributes have been paid to the late Dean Desmond Harman (66) of Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, who died unexpectedly in the Blackrock Clinic yesterday morning. pCarol singers abandon pubs
A group of charity carol singers who have been collecting money in Dublin pubs for at least 20 years have decided not to do so this year, due to fears for the safety of those involved. pIn Short
A roundup of today's other news stories in brief p
Water charges for schools put back until 2009
Water charges for schools could be delayed until the end of 2009
as Taoiseach Bertie Ahern announced that the Government was
considering a "transition" period for the complete implementation
on the EU water framework directive. pAhern says Quinn not a criminal
The only people who were criminals in the murder in Monaghan of Paul Quinn were those who killed him, according to Taoiseach Bertie Ahern. pHarney defends private hospital scheme
The hospital co-location initiative was designed to release capacity for public patients and to deliver new public acute beds quickest and most efficiently, Minister for Health Mary Harney told the Dáil. pGormley accused of 'huffing and puffing'
Minister for the Environment John Gormley was accused of "huffing and puffing" on the proposed Poolbeg incinerator in his Dublin South East constituency. pWe lead way on light bulb ban - Gormley
Using light bulbs to heat houses was very inefficient, Minister for the Environment John Gormley has said. pLabour seeks to amend Competition Act
The Labour Party has introduced a Bill in the Dáil to amend the Competition Act to allow for collective bargaining so that trade unions such as Irish Equity could represent actors and the HSE could talk directly to the Irish Pharmaceutical Union. pDublin Castle casts its shadow on glum Taoiseach
Dáil Sketch/Miriam Lord: Under the shadow of Madame la Guillotine, life in the Dáil chamber went on as normal. pClarification sought over budget money allocated to mental health
Seanad report p
Father's sons to be returned to Ireland
The unmarried Irish father of twin boys, who were taken to England by their mother without his knowledge or consent, will have them returned to Ireland next month. p'Damaged, dangerous' man gets seven years for rape
A young man described as "damaged and dangerous" has been jailed
for seven years by Ms Justice Maureen Clark at the Central Criminal
Court for raping a woman in Dublin two years ago. pAction opens against findings of Morris report
An action in which a dismissed Garda detective sergeant is seeking to overturn adverse findings made against him by the Morris tribunal has opened before the High Court. pWeil's disease firefighter settles case
A firefighter who claimed he contracted Weil's disease after cutting his hand while involved in a rescue course on the river Liffey has settled his High Court action. pMan jailed for serious assault on taxi-driver
A man whose drug and alcohol-fuelled attack left a taxi-driver living on disability allowance has been given nine years in consecutive sentences for the assault and for thefts from psychiatric patients. pHair transplant client ordered to pay €17,000
A judge yesterday complimented one of Europe's foremost hair transplant surgeons for the procedure he carried out on the balding pate of a secondhand car dealer. pDPP appeals High Court decision over newspaper's alleged contempt
The DPP has brought an appeal to the Supreme Court against a High Court decision refusing to jail a newspaper editor and journalist for alleged contempt of court. pChallenge to tender process
Publications distributor Newspread has taken a legal challenge to a "flawed" and "unfair" tendering process under which its contract to distribute Ireland on Sunday and Buy & Sell was terminated, resulting in lost profits of more than € 1.5 million. pIn Short
A roundup of today's other court stories in brief p
Dunlop enjoyed 'friendly' Ahern relationship
Former lobbyist Frank Dunlop told the Mahon tribunal yesterday that Taoiseach Bertie Ahern may have decided against officially opening the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre in November 1998 because "it was not appropriate" to be seen there. pKennedy's version of events
What John Kennedy told the tribunal about the 1994 dinner in Manchester at which he said he gave £1,000 in cash towards a collection for Bertie Ahern. pEx-lobbyist claims he had regular contact with Taoiseach
Analysis: The tribunal yesterday heard in passing evidence of the associations that existed in the 1990s between supporters of Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, Ahern himself, and Frank Dunlop, the lobbyist who has given sworn evidence about being involved in the corruption of the planning process in Dublin on behalf of property developers during this period. p
Former doctor in court on deception charges
A former doctor from Co Clare has appeared in court on charges
arising out of allegations that he treated terminally-ill cancer
patients in return for payments ranging from €100 to
€20,000. pPlayground laws curtail activities of adults
New laws governing playgrounds in Kerry will effectively mean "no adult will be permitted in a playground unless accompanied by a child", according to a senior council official. pBrother of gangland victim jailed for five years
The teenage brother of murdered Limerick gangland victim "Fat" Frankie Ryan has been jailed for five years for possession of an Israeli-manufactured "Desert Eagle" handgun. pRing road to divert 6,000 cars a day from Kilkenny
An estimated 6,000 cars a day will be taken out of Kilkenny's medieval centre following the opening of a new section of the city's ring road yesterday. p
