A round-up of today's other home news in brief ...
Mahon trial told of 'incredible' accounts
Defence counsel in the Melissa Mahon murder trial has told the jury that, while it may not like the accused and may suspect him of some crime, it should not convict him of murder based on his daughters’ accounts which are “radically inconsistent and inherently incredible”.
Mr Justice White will complete his charge on Monday morning and then send the jury out to begin its deliberations. The court will not sit today.
Brendan Grehan SC, defending, told the jury that after a five-week trial it had still not heard the truth about what happened to Melissa Mahon.
Ronald McManus (44), also known as Ronnie Dunbar, of Rathbraughan Park, Sligo, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Melissa on a date unknown between September 14th and 30th, 2006.
He also denied threatening to kill one of his daughters, Samantha Dunbar.
IFPA ‘disappointed’ on abortion data
The Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA) has described as “disappointing” a fall of just 86 in the number of Irish women travelling to Britain for abortions last year as compared with 2007.
Chief executive Niall Behan called yesterday for contraception to be made available free of charge, as it is in Britain, and for the morning-after pill to be available over the counter.
Figures just published by the British department of health statistics office show 4,600 girls and women who had abortions in England and Wales last year gave Irish addresses, compared with 4,686 in the previous year.
The reduction of 86 last year compares with a reduction of 356 in 2007 on the 2006 figure of 5,042, and a reduction in 2006 of 543 on the 2005 figure of 5,585.
Paramedics in dispute with HSE
Advanced paramedics who operate rapid response emergency vehicles in counties Tipperary and Limerick called in sick last night in protest at what they said was the Health Service Executive’s (HSE) continued failure to pay an allowance previously agreed.
A planned withdrawal of services, due to take place on May 11th, was averted after the HSE assured staff that the allowance would appear in their pay cheques yesterday.
However, at 8pm last night the advanced paramedics called in sick, leaving counties Limerick and Tipperary as well as Limerick city without rapid response vehicles.
In a statement last week, the HSE said: “The HSE is paying the allowance and this will be authorised at the end of May if not earlier.”
Council launch parking scheme
Dublin City Council launched a new way to pay to park cars yesterday which eliminates the need to carry cash for a ticket machine.
Instead motorists have the option of displaying a tag on their windscreen and either using a “pay as you go” option or signing up for an account.
There is an initial charge of €3.99 to purchase the tag and motorists can then purchase parking credit in Payzone outlets.
There is also an option to charge the cost of parking to a credit/debit card for a monthly fee of 50 cent, in which case the tag is free.
Call for mushroom industry reform
The island’s €134 million mushroom industry, which exports 80 per cent of its output, needs something more than sheer hard work to help it survive into the future, a conference in Monaghan was told yesterday.
Minister for Agriculture, Brendan Smith told delegates the time was right to explore innovative ways of organising and to adopt a more strategic approach to the market.
Bord Bia, which organised the conference, estimates the combined North and South mushroom production has a farm-gate value of €134 million. Almost 80 per cent of this production was exported each year.