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Findings to prompt review of State sector
HUNDREDS OF State agencies are to have their futures reviewed in light of the publication yesterday of a report on public service reform by the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD). p

Shell rejects proposal to move gas terminal
SHELL EP Ireland has rejected a proposal by Erris residents that it should move its gas refinery to a coastal, rather than offshore, location. p

New gas pipeline route likely to be as controversial as original
ANALYSIS: GARDAÍ CALL it the "golden mile" because of overtime opportunities, while locals refer to it as the "Shell highway". A mile-long stretch of road along windswept bogland in north Mayo has been the focus for continuous opposition to the Corrib gas project since work on the €200 million refinery resumed in October 2006, writes Lorna Siggins . p

Man killed in explosion at Cork plant
THE HEALTH and Safety Authority and An Garda Síochána have launched separate investigations into an explosion at a pharmaceutical plant in Cork which claimed the life of one man and left another man fighting for his life in hospital. p

Other Stories

Ó Searcaigh film-makers had dispute with RTÉ
RTÉ AND the makers of the controversial documentary Fairytale of Kathmandu disagreed sharply over aspects of the project in the year leading up to its transmission last month, newly released documents reveal. p
First Aer Lingus transatlantic flight from Dublin to New York recalled
THEY CAME to remember a time when flying transatlantic was as exotic as flying to the moon for most people, when getting a job as an Aer Lingus airline stewardess was the ultimate career for any aspiring young Irish woman, and nobody asked you to take your belt and shoes off at security checks. p
Aer Lingus settles €5 fare debacle
THE CHIEF executive of Aer Lingus, Dermot Mannion, has said the debacle over the €5 fares is over and that it has reached a settlement with all the passengers involved. p
Ryanair to raise its baggage charges to €10 next week
RYANAIR’S BAGGAGE charges are about to hit double digits with a new €10 fee for checking in a bag coming into force on May 5th. p
Free film channel planned for TV viewers
IRISH TV viewers will have free access to a proposed new channel devoted to Irish, European and international cinema. The Irish Film Channel will be one of many new services available when RTÉ 1, RTÉ 2, TV3 and TG4 switch from analogue to digital transmission. p
Garda 'needs to consider' arming uniformed officers
AN GARDA Síochána needs to consider whether it can still “afford the luxury” of being an unarmed force, the opening session of the annual conference of Garda Representative Association (GRA) was told last night by one of its senior officials. p
Consumer body to discuss prices with estate agents
CONCERNS ABOUT the supply of misleading information about house price sales are to be raised this morning by the National Consumer Agency with the representative bodies for estate agents. p
Dempsey promises bus market reform
EARLY PROGRESS in reforming “badly outdated” and “procedurally very slow and cumbersome” regulations governing the bus market in Dublin was promised yesterday by Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey. p
Roddy Doyle donates manuscripts to archive
“MODEST AND undemanding” Roddy Doyle has been praised for his donation of a collection of his original works to the National Library of Ireland. p
Schools excluding minorities could face sanctions
NEW SANCTIONS for schools with discriminatory enrolment policies are to be considered by Minister for Education Mary Hanafin. p
McCreevy seeks longer copyrights for musicians
IT IS only rock ’n’ roll, but apparently Charlie McCreevy likes it. p
President welcomes new papal nuncio
THE NEW papal nuncio to Ireland, Archbishop Giuseppe Leanza, has presented his credential letters to President Mary McAleese. p
No evidence of paramilitary link to drug trade - garda
THERE WAS no evidence of a structured link between paramilitaries and the drugs trade in the Republic, Det Supt Barry O'Brien from the Garda National Drugs Unit told the meeting here yesterday of the British Irish Interparliamentary Body. p
City to get new cycling officer
Minister for the Environment John Gormley has reversed his department's decision to refuse to sanction the appointment of an engineer to develop safe cycling routes in Dublin city. p
HSE seeks court order to ensure pharmacy services
THE HSE will ask the High Court on Thursday to make an order compelling hundreds of pharmacies to continue to provide "critical" medicines and other services under the Community Pharmacy Contractor (CPC) agreement for some more weeks so the HSE may make "contingency plans". p
Call for training in health needs of minority religions
LACK OF appropriate training for healthcare staff has sometimes resulted in significant distress being caused to people from minority religions, a new report has found. p
Case study: one family's experience
A Buddhist family flew from Vietnam to wash and prepare the body of a family member who had died of an Aids-related illness. They brought oils and wraps and expected to spend some time washing and preparing the body in the ICU in preparation for a same-day cremation. p
External inquiry into wrong kidney removal
AN EXTERNAL inquiry into the removal of a wrong kidney from a child during surgery at Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin, Dublin, was announced yesterday by the hospital. p
Firm challenges prosecution over unsolicited texting
AN ELECTRONIC marketing services company has secured a temporary High Court injunction restraining its prosecution by the data protection commissioner for allegedly sending unsolicited texts. p
In short
More news in brief. p

OECD Report

Call for review of plan on acute hospital decision
HEALTH: THE OECD has urged the Government to look again at the basis for its controversial decision to centralise acute hospital services in the northeast on one site. p
Call to abolish charges for accessing information
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION: THE GOVERNMENT should abolish charges for Freedom of Information requests in a move to reduce barriers to public information, the OECD review suggests. p
Bruton attacks 'do-nothing approach' to public services
REACTION: OPPOSITION PARTIES yesterday criticised Fianna Fáil and Tánaiste Brian Cowen for "wasting" €50 billion in the past four years without improving public services, and called on the Government to review its decentralisation programme on foot of the OECD report. p
Report shows public service pay not out of control - Impact
THE STATE'S largest public sector union claimed the OECD report "debunked the myth that public service pay and employment were out of control". p
What the report says on ...
A summary of the OECD's view on other areas of the public service. p

Referendum Commission Lisbon Treaty briefing

Only one in 20 voters knows what treaty says
JUST ONE in 20 of the public believes they understand the Lisbon Treaty, while nearly two-thirds say that they do not understand it at all, according to Referendum Commission research. p
EU will not take 'exclusive control', says commission
THE EUROPEAN Union will not take away exclusive control of any issue from member states under the Lisbon Treaty, the independent Referendum Commission has said. p
Roche criticises 'communication deficit' in EU
THERE IS no democratic deficit within the EU but rather a deficit in the way the workings of the EU are communicated to the general public, Minister for European Affairs Dick Roche argued yesterday. p

In the Courts

Man gets 12 years for repeatedly raping woman
Judge takes account of early guilty plea in sentencing p
DNA from Meg Walsh and husband found in boot of her car
DNA MATCHING both Meg Walsh and her husband John O’Brien, currently on trial in the Central Criminal Court for her murder, was found in the boot of her car the jury has heard. p
Experts to advise Eircom on illegal downloading
EIRCOM HAS agreed before the Commercial Court to consider information from experts relating to the operation of filtering or blocking systems intended to deter the illegal downloading of music. p
EBS takes action over €22m loans to developer
THE EBS Building Society has brought legal proceedings against a property developer aimed at securing repayment of loans of €22 million, including loans issued on the basis of undertakings of the developer’s solicitor, Thomas Byrne, whose practice has been closed by the Law Society. p
Sentence for falsely accusing priest cut on appeal
THE COURT of Criminal Appeal has reduced to three years the jail sentence imposed on a Dublin man who had falsely accused a priest of child sexual abuse. p

Wexford tragedy

Children did not die as direct result of fire
POSTMORTEMS ON the bodies of Mark and Julie Flood, the children who died in Clonroche in Co Wexford during the early hours of Saturday, have found they did not die as a direct result of the fire which engulfed their family home. p
Statement: on behalf of the families
THE FULL text of the statement from Denis Kennedy, head of Wexford County Council and uncle of Lorraine Flood: p
Fellow pupils of Flood children get counselling
SCHOOLMATES OF Mark and Julie Flood, the young brother and sister who died in tragic circumstances in their family home at the weekend, received counselling yesterday on their return to school. p

In the North

EU played huge role in peace process beyond funds of €1.5bn, forum hears
EU INVOLVEMENT in Northern Ireland is the “unsung story” of the peace process, it was claimed yesterday. p
New victims support group to be set up
A NEW victims support group is to be set up this week, the father of a UVF murder victim said yesterday. p
Health trusts to get £270,000 in settlement
INSURERS FOR a Belfast solicitor at the centre of a major fraud inquiry have agreed to pay out more than £270,000 (€343,000) to six health trusts. p

Regional News

Judge agrees to hear larceny case against doctor in June
A JUDGE was told yesterday that it is now urgent that a case against a doctor charged with receiving more than €50,000 after falsely pretending to three cancer patients that they would be cured be held as early as possible. p
Student hurt in Donegal attack
A LEAVING Cert student was recovering at home in Donegal yesterday after he was viciously beaten and kidnapped in an apparent case of “mistaken identity”. p
Clare man gets six years for possession of drugs
A CO CLARE businessman has been jailed for six years for possessing drugs. p
Gardaí say shooting of Waterford man was not suspicious
GARDAÍ INVESTIGATING the shooting of a man in his 50s in Co Waterford on Sunday night confirmed they are no longer treating the shooting as suspicious and are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident. p
Petrol flames leave Cork boy critical
A 13-YEAR-OLD boy remained in a critical condition in hospital last night after suffering extensive first-degree burns to his stomach and chest when he became engulfed in flames while handling a bottle of petrol in Cork city at the weekend. p
In short
More news in brief. p

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