In short

A round-up of today's other home news in brief.

A round-up of today's other home news in brief.

PSEU general secretary to retire in April

The general secretary of the Public Service Executive Union Dan Murphy has announced he is to retire from the post after 40 years. He is to step down at the end of April.

The PSEU announced yesterday that current deputy general secretary Tom Geraghty will take over from Mr Murphy. The current assistant general secretary Billy Hannigan will be appointed as deputy general secretary of the union.

PSEU president Fiona Lee described Mr Murphy as a passionate trade unionist of enormous skill and dedication with a lifetime of undeniable achievement.

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He had served on all Irish Congress of Trade Union negotiating teams for various national level negotiations with Government and employers for many years and was widely credited with generating the trade union vision of what became social partnership

Mr Murphy hit the headlines last week when he warned members that the International Monetary Fund could be brought in if the Government could not cut borrowing and bring the State’s finances back under control.

Israeli embassy cleared by hoax

A bomb disposal unit was called to the Israeli embassy in south Dublin yesterday morning following the delivery of a suspect package to the premises. An envelope containing a powder substance arrived in the post to the building on Pembroke Road, Ballsbridge, at about 8.30am.

Members of the Army Bomb Disposal Unit, the Garda and Dublin Fire Brigade were called to assess the suspect package and ensure the area was made safe.

An embassy spokesman said a security guard was the only person on the premises at the time.

The building was evacuated.

An Army spokesman said a bomb disposal team “carried out field tests” on a powder substance contained in an envelope. The tests proved inconclusive and the bomb disposal officer declared the package a hoax and the gave the all clear for people to re-enter the building at approximately 10.30am.

The remaining contents of the envelope were passed to gardaí. An investigation is to be carried out.

Increase in horse cruelty complaints

The president of the Wexford Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals says the organisation has received a 30 per cent increase in complaints of horse cruelty since September.

“Horses are wintered out instead of wintered in,” Barbara Bent said. “They are not fed terribly well as people are cutting back on their spending.”

She said some might not survive a bad spring.

She said the WSPCA and all such organisations were facing into a busy year.

“Animals will be hit by the recession like everyone else. People are looking at getting rid of their horses and pets, immigrants are going home and people are losing their jobs, so there isn’t the same money around.”