Today's other stories in brief
Truck driver dies in crash near Mooncoin
A truck driver was killed when his vehicle overturned in south Co Kilkenny yesterday evening. There were no other people in the livestock truck when it crashed at about 4.15pm, 2km from the village of Mooncoin on the Waterford to Carrick-on-Suir road
Alliance launches election campaign
The left-wing People Before Profit Alliance is to run 13 candidates for the local elections, including the narrowly-defeated 2007 general election contender Richard Boyd Barrett. The alliance ,which includes socialists, environmentalists and union and community activists, is calling on the electorate to “punish” the Government for having “wrecked” the country.
“Now they want us to pay the price for their mess,” said Mr Boyd Barrett who is running in Dún Laoghaire. He particularly criticised the Green Party for abandoning their political principles for power.
McKenna to stand as Independent
Former MEP Patricia McKenna yesterday said that she had decided to contest the European elections as an Independent to promote environmental and other policies that had been abandoned by the Green Party, writes Harry McGee.
Ms McKenna launched her campaign in Dublin yesterday at a press conference at which she was joined by three former Green Party councillors, Bronwen Maher, Chris O’Leary and Betty Doran. She said that at the Green Party convention this year she realised that the time had come to move on politically and pursue a long-term political agenda. She will campaign on a platform of environmental issues as well as a stance against the Lisbon Treaty.
Sinnott launches election campaign
MEPs need to take their official list of substitutes seriously rather than nominate individuals to curry political favour the Independent MEP for Ireland South, Kathy Sinnott, claimed at the launch of her European election campaign yesterday.
Speaking in Cork, Ms Sinnott said the onus was on politicians to choose substitutes for their particular skills set rather than for political gain.
Street cleaners attacked in Cork
Street cleaners in Cork city are being attacked while working, the local council has revealed. The latest incident involved a stone being thrown at the face of a worker.Cork City Council has made strenuous efforts recently to keep the city clean. Over €30,000 has been spent over the last few years to remove chewing gum on Patrick’s Street.