Today's other stories in brief
McKenna runs for Europe as Independent
Former Green Party MEP Patricia McKenna will announce plans to contest the forthcoming European Elections as an independent candidate at a press conference in Dublin this morning, writes Harry McGee.
Ms McKenna, who was an MEP for 10 years until 2004, has been the Greens’ most high-profile dissident and has frequently clashed with the leadership since the party decided to enter coalition with Fianna Fáil and the PDs after the 2007 general election. In a Hot Press interview, she is highly critical of the leadership and accuses the party of selling out to Fianna Fáil.
The party’s candidate in the Dublin constituency Senator Deirdre de Búrca said she was not surprised, because in recent years Ms McKenna had “offered little beyond constant criticism which proved very undermining for her colleagues”.
Ms McKenna, in the interview, said Mr Gormley had lost credibility because of his support for Bertie Ahern when he was taoiseach and what she said were mixed messages over his intervention on behalf of the Equality Authority.
Tribute dinner for former IFA head
The Taoiseach, Mr Cowen and three former taoisigh, Bertie Ahern, Albert Reynolds, and Garret FitzGerald were among the 200 guests who last night attended a dinner in Dublin to mark the retirement of former IFA general secretary, Michael Berkery.
The Taoiseach, who was guest of honour at the event, addressed the guests which included the Tanaiste, Mary Coughlan, a former minister for agriculture, the current Minister, Brendan Smith and former Ministers for Agriculture, Ivan Yates and Michael O’ Kennedy.
Move to extradite Garland adjourned
The High Court has further adjourned to early July the United States application to extradite former Workers’ Party president Seán Garland over his alleged involvement in an operation to make high-quality counterfeit US dollars.
Yesterday, Richard Humphreys, for Mr Garland, said more time was required before the case could be ready for hearing.
Counsel said they required more time to deal with US-based lawyers, and wished to engage with an expert in US-North Korean affairs. Patrick McGrath, for the State, said it had no objection to a further adjournment.
Mr Justice Michael Peart agreed to list the case for July 1st next. He remanded Mr Garland on continuing bail to that date.
Fined for naming sex abuse victim
The publisher of the Irish Examiner was yesterday fined €10,000 after pleading guilty to publishing the name of a sexual abuse victim in contravention of a court order made by a circuit court judge.
Examiner Publications admitted identifying the woman as the complainant to a charge of indecent assault by publishing her name, in contravention of an order by Judge Alice Doyle.
Yesterday at Cork Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin imposed the €10,000 penalty over the report on January 30th, 2007. Tim Vaughan, the editor of the Irish Examiner, had denied a similar charge and was found not guilty by the judge’s direction.
Alternatives to courts explored
The first of a series of information meetings on alternatives to court proceedings as a means of solving family law and other disputes takes place at the Grand Canal Hotel in Dublin this evening.
Hosted by the Association of Collaborative Practitioners Ireland, it will be followed by similar events this month in Cork, Galway and Belfast.