ireland.com - The Irish Times

Ahern and Blair plan to present blueprint next week
The Taoiseach and the British Prime Minister plan to return to Hillsborough on Thursday week - the fifth anniversary of the Belfast Agreement - to present the parties with their blueprint for restoring devolution to Northern Ireland. p

Rights body 'to use powers to the full'
The head of the new Human Rights Commission, Dr Maurice Manning, has said the body would conduct inquiries into human rights violations, and would appear in court alongside litigants like Mr Jamie Sinnott or the non-national parents of Irish-born children. p

Tribunal changes urged by law reform body
The Law Reform Commission (LRC) has called for the right to legal representation at tribunals to be drastically reduced, and for much of the work of tribunals to be carried on in private in order to reduce the amount of money and time they take. p

Other Stories

Luas will cross State's busiest junction
Traffic delays on the State's busiest junction, the Red Cow roundabout between the N7 and M50 in south Dublin, are set to worsen with the arrival of Luas. p
Tennis star may sue event promoter over fee
The sports marketing agency representing tennis star Anna Kournikova has warned it is prepared to use "legal means" to recoup losses against the promoter of the Trilogy tennis tournament and fashion show. p
State opposes common EU prosecutor
The Government has completely rejected an effort by the Convention on the Future of Europe to create a European public prosecutor and opposed proposals to create common EU criminal justice rules. p
Mentally ill who smoke more likely to try suicide
Smokers with a history of psychological illness, and with evidence of impaired chemical function in the brain, are more likely than non-smokers to attempt suicide, research published today suggests. p
Hanafin supports ban on smoking in pubs from next year
The Minister for Health's decision to ban smoking in all pubs and restaurants from next year has been publicly supported by the Government Chief Whip, Ms Mary Hanafin, and a Fianna Fáil backbencher. p
Meters give the motorist parking holiday
Thousands of euros in revenue may have been lost to Dublin City Council when motorists were treated to free parking yesterday because the meters thought it was a bank holiday. p
Nuclear power plant closes at Sellafield
The world's first commercial nuclear power station, Calder Hall, a Magnox reactor at Sellafield, on the coast of Cumbria, in the UK closed down yesterday. p
Parents angry at meal cuts for disabled children
The planned removal of a hot meals service for children with disabilities who attend the Enable Ireland school in Sandymount, Dublin, has been described as "appalling" and "harsh" by parents. p
Church 'must share the blame' for clerical abuse
Sex offenders are viewed as the lepers in our society and clerical sex offenders are "considered to be among the worst", a Catholic priest has said. p
Priest tells of dormitory abuse and dispute with his bishop
A priest who says he was abused wants his bishop to acknowledge theinjustice involved, writes Patsy McGarry p
Department 'very sympathetic' to Ukrainians with fake permits
The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment has said it would take a "very sympathetic" view of the cases of some 130 Ukrainians who are facing deportation because the work permits they paid up to $5,000 for are forgeries. p
TD demands Ryanair refunds investigation
A member of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport, Mr Noel O'Flynn, has called on the Director of Consumer Affairs, Ms Carmel Foley, to investigate Ryanair's policy of not paying refunds to passengers who miss their flights. p
Cushnahan calls for EU sanctions against foreign policy 'solo runs'
The EU must be able to impose sanctions on member-states who go on solo runs in the area of foreign policy, the National Forum on Europe was told at a meeting in Limerick last night. p
Hearing is told GP hit patient with frying pan
A Northern Ireland GP hit a psychiatric patient with a frying pan and a wine bottle and said that shooting such people was a "good idea", it was alleged at a disciplinary hearing in London yesterday. p

In The Courts

Man seen in handcuffs wins appeal
The Court of Criminal Appeal has quashed the conviction of a man on a number of grounds, including that he was seen by potential jurors in handcuffs. p
McBrearty family can challenge denial of legal funds
The McBrearty family of Raphoe, Co Donegal, who claim certain gardaí subjected them to a campaign of harassment and intimidation "reminiscent of the activities of the Black and Tans," have secured High Court permission to challenge the refusal of the chairman of the Morris tribunal to direct ongoing funding for their lawyers at tribunal hearings. p
Retired sergeant admits sexual assault charge
A retired sergeant major in the Defence Forces sexually assaulted a young Army private on numerous occasions after the victim was summoned to his superior's office to talk about the trauma he suffered after discovering his sister's still-birth, a court has heard. p
Former Christian Brother to go on trial for abuse
A former Christian Brother who faces 60 charges involving the alleged sexual abuse of 10 boys at Letterfrack reformatory in Connemara during the 1960s objected to being sent forward for trial yesterday, claiming he is prejudiced by the long delay in bringing the matter before the court. p
Couple sue over building work for Luas rail lines
A Dublin couple have secured a temporary High Court order restraining two companies, while building the Luas rail lines, from trespassing on their lands or interfering with trees on those lands. p
Students strangled prior to fire, trial told
A student couple whose badly charred bodies were found in an apartment in Dublin in March 2001 were strangled before their apartment was set on fire, the deputy state pathologist has told the Central Criminal Court. p

Tribunals

Carthy's GP did not support return of gun
THE BARR TRIBUNAL: The GP of the late Mr John Carthy has told the Barr tribunal he declined to write a letter saying that Mr Carthy should get his gun back from gardaí after it had been confiscated. p
McGlinchey denies inventing evidence
THE MORRIS TRIBUNAL: The chairman of the Morris tribunal asked Ms Adrienne McGlinchey yesterday if she was a Walter Mitty character during questioning about statements she made to an internal Garda inquiry in 1999. p
Judge unhappy over document delay
CHILD ABUSE COMMISSION: There has been "no real engagement" by the Department of Education and Science with the Commission of Inquiry into Child Abuse, the chairwoman warned yesterday. p

In the North

Soldiers did nothing improper, former Paras officer tells inquiry
BLOODY SUNDAY TRIBUNAL/Day 315: The officer in charge of the British army's plans for dealing with an illegal civil rights march in Derry in January 1972 denied yesterday that he pressurised his senior officers into allowing his troops into the Bogside. p

Regional News

Security tight as two face charges in Limerick
A major security operation was mounted at Limerick District Court yesterday where two men were charged with the false imprisonment of the murdered criminal figure, Mr Kieran Keane. p
Brennan vows to reduce delays in major infrastructure projects
The Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, announced yesterday he was urgently examining proposals for the introduction of a "critical infrastructure" Bill that would address issues affecting the timeframe and costs involved in the planning, design, construction and delivery of major infrastructure projects. p
EU gives State ultimatum about shellfish
The European Commission has given the Government just over two weeks to respond to its failure to designate coastal bays and estuaries as being suitable for shellfish production. p
Airport 'could close' over Shannon estuary pollution
Shannon Airport could be closed if the High Court upholds a complaint by a Kerry county councillor that millions of gallons of untreated effluent are being discharged into the Shannon estuary from the new Aer Rianta terminal at the airport, lawyers for the authority have told the High Court. p
Prosecution pending over workplace death
An inquest into the death of a security man who was working at Oldbridge House was adjourned at Drogheda Coroner's Court yesterday as the Health and Safety Authority is considering a prosecution. Oldbridge House, near the Battle of the Boyne site, was being renovated by the Office of Public Works when the death occurred. p
Kilkenny man returns to work after serious attack in US
A young Kilkenny man who suffered a serious brain injury in an attack in the US and spent almost two months in hospital returned to work yesterday.Mr John Brennan (21), who spent weeks in rehabilitation after his release from hospital, finally drove a lorry going to Dublin. p

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