More news in brief
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is to visit Slovenia, which currently holds the European presidency, Austria and Poland on February 26th-28th for a series of bilateral meetings with his counterparts and an address to the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
The OSCE is the largest regional security organisation in the world. Ireland was one of the original 35 participating states when it was founded in 1973. The Taoiseach will address the 56 participating member states in Vienna.
Dublin assault victim stable
A 26-year-old Hungarian man who was assaulted by a number of men at a hotel in Dublin's city centre early on Saturday was in stable condition in hospital last night.
Gardaí at Store Street are investigating the attack, which took place in the Abbey Court Hotel, Middle Abbey Street, at about 2am. The man was taken to the Mater hospital.
Meanwhile, gardaí in Sligo yesterday released a 21-year-old man who was arrested in connection with an assault in Caltragh on Saturday morning that left a 22-year-old man with stab wounds. The victim was found lying in the driveway of a house at Rusheen Ard. He was taken to Sligo General Hospital where he is in stable condition.
€100,000 to Kenya peace effort
Ireland is to provide €100,000 to support mediation efforts aimed at ending Kenya's political crisis. Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern said yesterday the funding, which follows a request from the United Nations, underlined Ireland's support for attempts led by former UN secretary general Kofi Annan to broker a political resolution to the crisis sparked by December's presidential elections.
"I am delighted to be able to support this vital work of former UN secretary general Kofi Annan.The panel of Eminent African Personalities initiative led by Kofi Annan represents the best prospect for achieving a political resolution of the current crisis in Kenya," Mr Ahern said.
Call to cut alcohol sales permits
The Irish Medical Organisation has called for a phasing out of alcohol licences in supermarkets, convenience stores and petrol stations. In its submission to the Department of Justice's alcohol advisory group, the doctors' group said alcohol sales should be confined to specialist off-licences, with responsible server programmes in place.
Mass marks 100 years of scouting
A celebratory Mass to mark 100 years of scouting in Ireland was held in Dublin yesterday. The event, at Whitehall church, was attended by the lord mayor of Dublin, Cllr Paddy Burke, and a number of local public representatives.
Speaking after the Mass, Cllr Burke said that 800- 1,000 young people had attended the ceremony, which was an opportunity to mark the "tremendous work" that scouting does in Ireland.