ireland.com - The Irish Times

McCreevy not 'daft enough' to list FoI problems
The Minister for Finance said he was not "daft enough" to list difficulties that arose in Government in the past six years because of the Freedom of Information Act. p

Cosgrave says he kept no records of expenses and donations
THE FLOOD TRIBUNAL: Former Fine Gael senator Mr Liam Cosgrave has told the tribunal he kept no records until recently of expenses incurred and donations received during a 22-year political career. p

Life sentence for beating man to death
Two men have been convicted of the killing of 19-year-old Brian Mulvaney, who was beaten to death after a party in Dublin three years ago. p

Violent scenes outside Dail
There were violent scenes outside the Dáil last night as members of the Garda Riot Squad charged several hundred anti-war protesters. A huge Garda presence surrounded Irish Anti-War Movement protesters shortly after 7.30 p.m. and blocked off Kildare Street to traffic. p

Other Stories

Airbus to bid for Government jet
The French plane-maker, Airbus, will bid to supply the new Government jet, the company said yesterday. Proposing the €41.7 million Airbus Corporate Jetliner (ACJ) to the Government, the company said it was likely to compete directly with Boeing for the contract. p
Extradition of TV show winner may be sought
An Irishman who won more than €150,000 on a British television game show last weekend is expected to be the subject of extradition proceedings from Britain to the Republic. p
School supports week of turning off TVs
Glenageary-Killiney national school in Dublin is set to become one of the first in the Republic to have a "TV-Turnoff Week". From April 7th to 11th, the pupils will be encouraged to try life without the constant stimulation of the visual electronic media - and that includes Playstation. p
Liquor Bill sets out to tackle youth drinking
A short Intoxicating Liquor Bill will be introduced within weeks to deal with urgent issues including under-age drinking, the reduction of opening hours, drunkenness and disorderly conduct on licensed premises, according to the Minister for Justice. p
'Fair City' actress Pat Leavy dies suddenly at a Dublin hospital
RTÉ's Fair City soap opera actress, Mrs Pat Leavy, died suddenly at a Dublin hospital yesterday. p
French one-day strike disrupts flights
Air transport between Ireland and France will be reduced to just one passenger flight today because of a one-day strike by French civil service employees. p
50,000 households wait for housing
There are now a record 50,000 households on housing waiting lists across the State, Focus Ireland said yesterday. p
Water pressure fails as church burns
Firefighters struggled to fight a church fire without proper water pressure in the village of Louth yesterday. The blaze left the 110- year-old church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, which had a preservation order on it, as a shell. p
Grants for elderly and disabled hit by council's delay
Bray Town Council has delayed the payment of essential grants to the disabled and elderly across the State by almost four months through its failure to submit budget returns to central government. p
'Irish Times' correspondent wins award for m edical journalism
Dr Muiris Houston, Medical Correspondent with The Irish Times , was yesterday named Irish Medical Journalist of the Year for the second consecutive year. p

In the Dáil

Attack was not pre-emptive, says Taoiseach
The Taoiseach insisted that the attack on Iraq was not a pre-emptive strike and said the Government did not intend withdrawing overflight facilities from the US in Shannon Airport. p
Government accused of 'disgusting hypocrisy' on Iraq
Ms Liz O'Donnell (PD, Dublin South) said she believed that many Irish people were "shattered and deeply conflicted" by the Iraqi war. p
Tenders to be sought for Government aircraft
Tenders are to be invited for new Government aircraft, the Minister for Defence, Mr Smith, revealed yesterday. p
Ahern wants to move soon on North
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, said he would like to see the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, and himself present their proposals on restoring the Northern Ireland Assembly next week. p
Chief whip gets lash from Opposition
DAIL SKETCH/Frank McNally: It was the best of times and the worst of times in the Dáil yesterday, but it was lack of time that had the Opposition complaining. p
Heated exchanges as amendments are passed
Controversial sections of legislation amending the Freedom of Information Act were passed during angry exchanges at committee stage last night. p
Blood unit price almost trebled since 1998
The price charged by the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) for units of blood collected from voluntary donors has increased almost threefold over the past five years from just over €80 in 1998 to €223 last year. p
FF TD says PD policies 'infecting' his party
Comments by a Fianna Fáil backbencher warning that right-wing PD policies were beginning to "infect" his own party aroused little overt support from his colleagues yesterday and were shrugged off by Ministers. p
Iraqis must be central to future of Iraq - Kitt
SEANAD REPORT: The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mr Tom Kitt, stressed that the Iraqi people must be central to the future of Iraq. p
Minister warns about high tourist prices
The Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Mr O'Donoghue, has repeated his warning about the high costs encountered by tourists. The Minister said there was no point in people burying their heads in the sand. p

In The Courts

It is not easy to get help for a violent person
ANALYSIS: There is little provision to prevent violent attacks by disturbed young people, writes Carol Coulter , Legal Affairs Correspondent p
Holland seeks access to media
Patrick "Dutchy" Holland, who is serving a 12-year sentence for possession of cannabis, has asked the High Court to overturn the refusal by Portlaoise Prison authorities to allow him communicate with journalists. p
Circuit Court cannot rule on law's constitutionality
The Supreme Court has decided that a Circuit Court judge has no jurisdiction to decide the constitutionality of a law which provides a maximum sentence of 10 years' penal servitude for an indecent assault on a male but a two-year prison sentence in the case of a first offence involving a female victim. p

Tribunals

Official 'troubled' by Lowry pressure on bids process
MORIARTY TRIBUNAL: A member of the team that selected the 1995 mobile phone licence competition winner thought the then minister, Mr Michael Lowry, might have applied pressure to wrap up the process to bring about a particular result. p
Chairman rejects claim that tribunal is unfair
THE FLOOD TRIBUNAL: The Flood tribunal has again rejected complaints that it is being unfair to former Fine Gael senator Mr Liam Cosgrave. p
'Talking' could have got Carthy to leave house
THE BARR TRIBUNAL: Mr John Carthy's psychiatrist said yesterday he believed that Mr Carthy could have been talked out of the siege and persuaded to leave his home peaceably. p
GP not told gun given back to Carthy
THE BARR TRIBUNAL: John Carthy's psychiatrist has told the Barr tribunal he should have told Mr Carthy's GP that he had recommended the return of his patient's gun. p

In the North

Belfast Agreement may be rescued on fifth anniversary
Now Easter hovers into view, with much hope it seems reposed in the collective commitment of the parties, writes Frank Millar , London Editor p
Colonel did not consider operation had been a success
THE BLOODY SUNDAY INQUIRY/Day 317: The commander of the British soldiers who shot dead 13 unarmed civilians in the Bogside, Derry, 31 years ago, said yesterday that he did not consider the military operation on the day to have been a success. p
Shock at murder of Ormeau man
Residents of the lower Ormeau in south Belfast last night said they were shocked and horrified by the murder of a 51-year-old man. p

Regional News

€8 billion proposed for railways
The "most comprehensive re- view of rail services ever undertaken in the Republic", to be published today, is unlikely to be radical, and its recommendations may disappoint rail campaigners. p
Dispute over Agriculture promotions to escalate
Pickets are to be placed today on four Department of Agriculture offices where staff have been suspended in a dispute over promotional opportunities. p
EPA grants Meath landfill licence
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has granted a licence for Celtic Waste Ltd to run a so-called "super-dump" in Co Meath, just eight miles from where Indaver Ireland plans to build the State's first municipal waste incinerator. p
Plan aims to reduce farming fatalities
A five-year plan to tackle accidents and fatalities on Irish farms, which have claimed the lives of 200 people in the last decade, will be launched on Monday. p
Minister seeks report on decision to suspend home births scheme
The Minister for Health, Mr Martin, has expressed "surprise" at a Western Health Board decision to cut funding for the Home Birth/Domino scheme in Galway. p
Inquest into death of Cork stabbing victim
A teenage girl died after being stabbed in the heart by an intruder who went on to wound her a further 10 times in a frenzied knife attack, Cork Coroner's Court heard yesterday. p
Permission for Achill clubhouse appealed
A decision by Mayo County Council to grant planning permission to a football club to construct a clubhouse in a scenic area of Achill has been appealed to An Bord Pleanála. p
Waterford protest at cancer services
More than 2,000 people took part in a street protest in Waterford yesterday afternoon to highlight the lack of radiotherapy services in the south-east region. p

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