ireland.com - The Irish Times

Sale of railway property to finance expansion
GOVERNMENT LAUNCH: Iarnród Éireann should sell or lease some of its property to part-fund the national rail programme, the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, said yesterday. p

Failure to give Carthy cigarettes criticised
THE BARR TRIBUNAL: The failure of gardaí to provide John Carthy with cigarettes during the Abbeylara siege was criticised by Mr Carthy's psychiatrist, Dr David Shanley, at the Barr Tribunal in Dublin yesterday. p

Heated debate on FoI Bill move
A Government decision to guillotine the committee stage of the Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill led to heated exchanges with the Opposition. p

Other Stories

B&B taken off emergency housing list
A health board employee who referred homeless people to a bed and breakfast owned by himself did nothing wrong, the Northern Area Health Board insisted yesterday. p
Air passengers land in court
A wealthy Irish businessman who usually flies by private jet spent Wednesday night in a Scottish police cell after trying to trick Ryanair into allowing him to travel. p
Takeaways closed by food authority
Three Chinese takeaways were among five establishments who had action taken against them by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) last month. p
Parents seek tax relief on grinds
A leading parents' group wants tax relief for parents who they say are "forced" to spend money on grinds because of "under performing " teachers. p

Tribunals

Payment of #2,500 not declared
THE FLOOD TRIBUNAL: Mr Liam Cosgrave could face serious penalties after acknowledging that he failed to disclose a £2,500 payment from Mr Frank Dunlop under ethics legislation only six months after receiving it. p
Evidence of money paid from Dunlop amended
THE FLOOD TRIBUNAL: Former Fine Gael senator Mr Liam Cosgrave has dramatically changed his account of the payments he received from Mr Frank Dunlop. p
Cosgrave's reputation demolished
FLOOD TRIBUNAL ANALYSIS: Before he even gets a chance to deal with Frank Dunlop's allegations in detail, former Fine Gael Senator Liam Cosgrave has seen his reputation demolished in two short days of evidence, writes Paul Cullen p
Garda assault claim by IRA man's niece
THE MORRIS TRIBUNAL : A niece of IRA man Pearse McCauley was arrested in Letterkenny, Co Donegal, the day after he escaped from Brixton Prison and was arrested a second time a few weeks later when she claimed she was assaulted by gardaí, the Morris tribunal was told yesterday. p
Garda tells of gun in Carthy home
THE BARR TRIBUNAL: Gardaí were alerted to the presence of a gun in the Carthy home by a neighbouring family who were concerned for their safety, the Barr tribunal was told yesterday. p
'No outside influence' on Esat success
THE MORIARTY TRIBUNAL: A member of the team that selected the winner of the 1995 second mobile phone licence competition said he believed the result was arrived at without outside influence. p

Rail Review

Report is not ambitious enough, says Brennan
REVIEW'S FINDINGS: The Strategic Rail Review called for the investment of €8.6 billion in the national rail system, yet the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, said the report was not ambitious enough. p
'Review's message to Irish people is clear - stick with your car'
POLITICAL REACTION: The Strategic Rail Review (SSR) is "fatally flawed" because it "legitimises line closures and pays nothing more than lip-service to the Government's own spatial strategy", according to the Fine Gael transport spokesman, Mr Denis Naughten TD. p
Minister calls for joint venture on freight
FREIGHT NETWORK: Iarnród Éireann should develop joint ventures with private sector companies to increase the viability of its freight network, the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, said yesterday. p

Crime Figures

FG describes figures as 'national emergency'
Fine Gael has promised to co-operate with the Government in tackling the "national emergency" over crime as Opposition parties lined up yesterday to excoriate the Government over the latest crime figures. p
Computer system may be factor in crime statistics
The increase in official crime figures seems dramatic, but the truth may be more complicated, writes Carol Coulter, Legal Affairs Correspondent p

In the Dáil

McDowell defends gardai on protest
The Minister for Justice defended the role of the gardaí in dealing with the violent anti-war protest outside Leinster House on Wednesday night. p
Ending dual mandate positive, says Cullen
The ending of the dual mandate would allow local government to develop its own separate role within democracy for the first time since the foundation of the State, the Minister for the Environment, Mr Cullen, told the House. p
Labour predicts court challenges to FoI changes
The Minister for Finance was accused of attempting to change the Constitution through amendments to the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act. p
Disunity denied on health issue
The Taoiseach has denied there is any disunity in the Cabinet after the Minister for Health implicitly criticised the Minister for Finance, over health funding. Mr Martin and Mr McCreevy met yesterday, but neither side would disclose what they discussed. p
Doctors' strike would be disastrous, says FG
The Minister for Health, Mr Martin, has been urged to intervene to prevent an all-out strike next week by public health doctors. p
Labour market access for new EU states
The House passed the Employment Permits Bill 2003 granting full labour market access to nationals of the EU accession states from May of next year. p
Minister urges radical look at policing
SEANAD REPORT: A radical look at the whole nature of policing needs to be taken, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform told the House. p

In The Courts

State in court over US use of Shannon
The Constitution requires the Government to first determine that the US-led war in Iraq is founded on "international justice and morality" before this State can provide overflight, landing and refuelling facilities to the US military at Shannon Airport, it was asserted in the High Court yesterday. p
Mr Edward Horgan: the man behind the challenge
The challenge to the Government's decision to allow the US military to use Shannon airport has been taken by a retired Army commandant, Mr Edward Horgan, who is now pursuing a Ph.D programme on issues of international peace and United Nations reform. p
Man gets eight years for rape
A man has been jailed for eight years by at the Central Criminal Court for raping a Dublin woman. p
Door fell in during Garda raid - accused
A Tipperary man told the Special Criminal Court yesterday that the front door of a house came down on top of him when gardaí raided a house in Limerick where they suspected a meeting of the Continuity IRA was taking place. p
One year ban for diarist in drink-drive accident
Newspaper columnist Dr Robin O'Reilly was yesterday fined €600 and banned from driving for a year after a court heard she hit a parked car while drink-driving. p
Detention for boy who rammed Garda squad car
A young car thief who wrote off a Garda squad car after he performed a handbrake turn, drove straight at it and rammed it head-on during a life threatening chase, has been detained for 21 months. p

In the North

Omagh bombers will be caught, says report
The police investigation of the Omagh bombing has gained a "new momentum" and the killers will still be caught, according to a report on the atrocity. p
Trimble to put North deal to UUP's council
Ulster Unionist Party leader Mr David Trimble plans to put any "acts of completion" deal to restore Northern Ireland's devolved government to a meeting of the Ulster Unionist Council (UUC) on April 26th. p
Kenny says there can be no more posturing in North peace process
The Fine Gael leader has warned parties to the peace process against stonewalling and posturing. Mr Enda Kenny was heading a party delegation yesterday in a series of talks with Northern parties and the PSNI Chief Constable, Mr Hugh Orde. p
#120m lost in NI social spending
Fraud and error cost the North's Department of Social Development over £120 million sterling last year, according to a report from the Comptroller and Auditor General, Mr John Dowdall. p

Regional News

IPI president urges zoning law change
Abuses of the planning system, as detailed in the Flood tribunal's interim report, would continue to happen without legislative changes in how land is rezoned, a leading planner has warned. p
Pickets continue at four Department offices
Pickets are to continue today at four Department of Agriculture local offices, where staff have been suspended in a dispute over promotional opportunities. p
O Cuiv denies programme for deprived urban areas a 'shambles'
The Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Mr Ó Cuív, has denied a programme to revitalise deprived urban areas has been abandoned. p
A haven for neglected animals in Longford
Seán MacConnell visited a unique 80-acre farm for animals which have been victims of cruelty p

Sections

Search for

Services

Most popular stories

Property

Jobs

Motors

Dating