ireland.com - The Irish Times

Additional hospital beds bill could reach €4bn
The exchequer is facing a €4 billion bill to provide thousands of additional acute hospital beds for public patients over the next decade or so if the health service continues to operate its existing model of care, a major new report given yesterday by the Health Service Executive to trade union leaders has found. p

Doctor critical after hospital stabbing
A psychiatrist was in a critical condition in hospital last night and a colleague was also being treated after they were stabbed a number of times at a psychiatric day hospital in Limerick. p

Psychiatrists warn on bed closures
Four consultant psychiatrists told the Health Service Executive in December that people's lives were at risk because of a lack of secure psychiatric beds. p

Developer paid £360,000 in legal fees for Dunlop
Cork developer Owen O'Callaghan paid more than £360,000 (€457,000) in tribunal legal fees for lobbyist Frank Dunlop, the Mahon tribunal was told yesterday. p

Other Stories

Maintenance firm loses two of its Aer Lingus contracts
Dublin-based aircraft maintenance group SR Technics has lost two of its four contracts with Aer Lingus and fears have been expressed within the company that the loss of the other remaining business could put it out of business. p
Hold-ups at Heathrow likely to persist today
Passengers bound for Heathrow airport in London today face continuing delays as authorities try to clear the backlog caused by yesterday's crash-landing of a British Airways jet. p
Air traffic controllers' dispute referred to LRC
A dispute involving air traffic controllers which threatens to disrupt flights at Dublin airport is to be referred to the Labour Relations Commission. p
Barristers to provide fee estimates from March under new ruling
Fee estimates will have to be given by barristers in advance of taking a case under a new ruling from the Bar Council. Failure to do so may constitute professional misconduct. p
Ireland 'losing out' on film investment
Ireland lost more than €100 million of potential investment in major feature films last year because of competition from abroad, the Irish Film Board (IFB) has said. p
Failure to collect tax from landlords criticised
Revenue's arrangements for collecting tax from landlords who receive payments from the State are "haphazard and inefficient", a Dáil committee was told yesterday. p
Home are the heroes from their South Pole adventure
The first Irish team to conquer the South Pole received a rapturous reception when it touched down at Cork airport last night in a private jet. p
Protection of privacy remains vulnerable, says expert
The newly-established Press Council and Ombudsman may not satisfy the privacy protection standards of the European Court of Human Rights, according to an expert on privacy law. p
Press Ombudsman warns over access to courts
People who have a complaint about their treatment by the media will not be able to "ride both horses" of access to the ombudsman and to the courts at the same time, according to the Press Ombudsman, John Horgan. p
Corruption fears not grounds to end aid - Ahern
Ireland cannot abandon Third World countries even in cases of governmental corruption, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has declared, speaking in Tanzania yesterday. p
Taoiseach warns on Kenya crisis
Kenya's political crisis could get dramatically worse very quickly because of the refusal of its president to concede any ground to political opponents, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has warned. p
Traders in dark on council's market plan
Stallholders' future is still unclear three years after the closure of Dublin's fruit and veg market was flagged, writes Olivia Kelly p
Market force: 116 years of trading
The market opened in 1892 and, listed on the record of protected structures, it has changed little since. p
Le Pen invitation to UCD debate criticised
UCD has strongly criticised its own Law Society for inviting the far-right politician and Holocaust denier Jean Marie Le Pen to a debate on the Lisbon Treaty. p
Private Green vote on treaty
Whatever the result of tomorrow's Green Party special convention in Dublin on the Lisbon Treaty, there is no funding for a campaign either for or against, according to a spokesman at Leinster House. p
Isme poll shows low grasp of Lisbon
Only 4 per cent of respondents in a survey conducted among its members by Isme, the Irish Small and Medium Enterprises Association, say they have enough information on the Lisbon Treaty and only 12 per cent would vote Yes if the referendum took place now. p
TV3 trailer judged as'too sexually explicit'
A promotional trailer for a TV3 programme which showed male and female nudity and scenes of a sexual nature has been judged "too sexually explicit" by the Broadcasting Complaints Commission (BCC). p
Commission says McWilliams's trade union comments 'unfair'
The Broadcasting Complaints Commission (BCC) upheld complaints in relation to an RTÉ programme presented by economist David McWilliams, in which he was found to have been unfair to trade unionists. p
Mother of teenager killed in road crash queries dropping of charges
The mother of a teenager who died in a road traffic collision has written to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to ask him to reconsider withdrawing a charge of dangerous driving causing death against former international rugby player Eddie Halvey p
US-Ireland Alliance to honour Meaney after Flanagan drops out
Actor Colm Meaney will be honoured by the US-Ireland Alliance at its pre-Academy Awards party, following the decision by Fionnula Flanagan to refuse the invitation. p
Man killed, two injured as three trucks collide in Tipperary
Two men died and two others were injured yesterday following separate incidents on the State's roads. p
Woman 'stable' after snow plough accident
A woman from Co Clare last night remained in a "serious but stable condition" after being struck by a snow-plough in California last week. p
New lead in search for teen in Spain
The Spanish authorities have confirmed that a specific lead is being followed in the ongoing investigation into the disappearance of teenager Amy Fitzpatrick, who has been missing on the Costa del Sol since January 1st. p
Toscan du Plantier family to highlight campaign
The family of murdered French film producer Sophie Toscan du Plantier will travel to west Cork later this month to highlight a campaign aimed at harmonising laws on victims rights across the European Union. p
Motorists warned of site selling licences
Motorists have been warned about a website that claims it can obtain driving licences from other EU countries for customers at a cost of up to €600. p
Gardaí question man about prostitution
Gardaí from the Criminal Assets Bureau are to prepare a file for the Director of Public Prosecutions after last night releasing without charge a 51-year-old man arrested for questioning about prostitution in Cork. p
Arrest in Dublin murder inquiry
Gardaí arrested a man yesterday in connection with the fatal shooting of a 22-year-old man in Clondalkin, Dublin, last January. p
Minister urged to intervene over garda murder
Kilkenny Borough Council is writing to Minister for Justice Brian Lenihan, to request his intervention in the case of a garda murdered in Dublin nearly 40 years ago. p
Bishop of Limerick to retire at end of March
Tributes have been paid to the Church of Ireland Bishop of Limerick and Killaloe, Right Rev Michael Mayes, who is to retire at the end of March. p
Most paramedical programmes require high points
College Choice/Brian Mooney: Paramedical programmes attract between 250-650 first preference applications and make offers to, on average, 25 per cent of applicants, all at relatively high points given the small numbers involved. p

In the Courts

Man to be extradited on child trafficking charges
The High Court has ordered the extradition to the Netherlands of a man for allegedly trafficking children from Africa to Europe, where they are used as prostitutes. p
Serious inquiry with focus on Nigeria
After the decision to order the extradition, Det Supt John O'Driscoll of the Garda National Immigration Bureau said the trafficking investigation being overseen by the Dutch was a very significant one being conducted throughout Europe, with arrests taking place as far away as the US and Nigeria. p
Man (36) charged over €7m heroin seizure
A 36-year-old man was yesterday remanded into custody after he was charged in connection with the seizure of heroin thought to be worth up to €7 million. p
Woman stole from bookmakers
A separated mother who stole €18,000 from the bookmakers where she worked, when she ran into financial difficulties after her marriage ended, is to be considered for community service after repaying the money. p
Alleged murder confession was 'work of more than one person'
A statement of confession allegedly made by a Co Galway man convicted of the murder of an elderly woman over 25 years ago was the work of more than one person, it was claimed in the Court of Criminal Appeal yesterday. p
Delay in handgun licence 'unlawful'
A gun club member is seeking a High Court order that a three-year delay by the Garda in granting him a licence for a handgun is unreasonable and unlawful. p
Son of murdered woman tells court she was scared of husband
Two sons yesterday gave further evidence of tensions in the Mulder family at the murder trial at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin. p
Guilty plea in €37,000 cheque fraud case
A Co Meath man who stole almost €37,000 from his employer in a "basic and amateurish" fraud has had his sentence adjourned at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. p
In Short
A roundup of today's other court stories in brief p

In the North

Community 'not ready to move on'
The Eames-Bradley Consultative Group on the Past could finally recommend to the British government that nothing can be done at this stage to come to terms with the legacy of the Troubles. p
Ombudsman requests meeting with Omagh trial judge
The Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland has asked to meet the Omagh trial judge to discuss his concerns about police conduct in the case. p
North, South 'twin city' planned
A draft cross-Border economic development strategy that includes the creation of a major Dundalk-Newry "twin city" urban centre is to be launched by the summer. p
Ahern welcomes Poots GAA game attendance
The Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern has described as a "significant milestone" the first official attendance of a Democratic Unionist Party politician at a GAA match. p
'Gazette' editor rejects case for NI Bill of Rights
The editor of the Church of Ireland Gazette has rejected arguments by the chairman of the Bill of Rights Forum in support of a special Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland. p

Mahon Tribunal

Walsh tells of his surprise that dinner was FF fundraiser
Former minister for agriculture Joe Walsh told the Mahon tribunal he was surprised when he learned that a Fianna Fáil dinner he attended in Cork in 1994 was actually a fundraiser. p

Regional News

V de P says post office closures leading to isolation
A total of 344 post offices have closed around the country in the past seven years, leading to increasing social isolation, particularly among vulnerable groups in rural areas, according to the Society of St Vincent de Paul. p
Shutting up shop at yet another post office
It is with no small sense of sadness that Mary Behan will finally shut the doors of her post office in Julianstown, Co Meath, for the last time at 5.30pm this evening. p
Marginal drop in price of farm land
The price of farm land fell marginally last year in line with residential property according to the findings of the annual land sale survey of Knight Frank, auctioneers and consultants who specialise in agricultural property. p
Poll shows many Dubliners agree west is the best
One-third of people living in Dublin and surrounding counties would like to move west of the Shannon for a better quality of life, according to an opinion poll. p

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