A round-up of today's other stories in brief...
HSE arrears to Dublin City Council expected to be paid in weeks
Arrears of several million euro owed by the Health Service Executive (HSE) to Dublin City Council since 2007, for the provision of the city’s emergency ambulance service, are expected to be paid in the coming weeks, according to the council, writes Olivia Kelly. Dublin Fire Brigade provides emergency ambulance services for the capital and attends more than 90,000 ambulance calls each year. These account for 73 per cent of the brigade’s emergency calls.
The service costs are borne by the city council which was, up to three years ago, reimbursed by the HSE. However it stopped paying its bills in 2007, assistant city manager Séamus Lyons said. Following fresh talks, he added, the council believed it would shortly finalise a new service agreement with the HSE and that the outstanding bill would be paid.
TD breaks wrist in fall on way to Dáil
Fine Gael TD Olivia Mitchell was taken to hospital by ambulance from Leinster House yesterday to have treatment for an injury incurred on the way to her Dáil office, writes Deaglán de Bréadún.
A party spokesman said another pedestrian accidentally slipped and bumped into Ms Mitchell on St Stephen’s Green at about 10am, causing her to fall on the pavement. She suffered a fractured wrist and was “very much in pain” initially.
The spokesman said Ms Mitchell (Dublin South), who is Fine Gael spokeswoman on competitiveness and consumer protection, would be allowed home from hospital last night and was not expected to miss any significant Dáil votes.
Farmer spared jail for TB protest
A 67-year-old farmer who lay down in front of Department of Agriculture veterinary inspectors and shouted abuse at them to prevent them testing his animals for TB has been given a nine-month suspended prison sentence and fined €5,000.
The incident occurred in April 2008.
Denis McCarthy, The Island, Newmarket, was saved from going to jail by his age, said Judge Patrick Moran. Nine department officials were held up for almost two hours by McCarthy who shouted vitriolic abuse at them.
These included making comments of a personal and sexual nature about the wife of one of the inspectors, the court heard.