Sheedy case controversy intensifies as inquiry continues

Saturday/Sunday

Speculation intensified in the case of a Dublin architect who was freed after serving only one year of a four-year sentence on a charge of dangerous driving causing death.

Philip Sheedy was sentenced by Judge Joseph Mathews in October 1997. A review date was set for October 1999. However, last November, the then Dublin Circuit Court judge, Cyril Kelly - now a High Court judge - suspended the remaining three years for good behaviour.

A new survey found that 60 per cent of second-level school classrooms were overcrowded, with more than the recommended maximum of 30 students per class.

The Government was urged by economic consultants to increase taxes on petrol as part of a policy aimed at restraining the growth in road traffic.

The driver of an articulated truck died when it plunged 30 feet from a bridge in Co Kildare on to a railway line.

A young couple who suffered severe burns in last August's Omagh bombing were married in the town.

Monday

The IRA announced it had identified the location of the bodies of nine people killed by the organisation in the 1970s and 1980s and buried in secret. The British and Irish governments said they were willing to facilitate the exhumation of the remains by ensuring that any new evidence uncovered would not be used in subsequent criminal proceedings.

The Taoiseach and the British Prime Minister met at Hillsborough Castle for the opening round of meetings on decommissioning of paramilitary weapons.

Earlier, Mr Ahern confirmed the Government's intention to press ahead with joining the NATO-sponsored Partnership for Peace programme in the autumn. The declaration came against a backdrop of protests against the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia.

As many as 12,000 older Irish people are subjected to abuse, which can include being slapped, starved, isolated or threatened, a new report found.

The Environmental Protection Agency revealed that 8 per cent of public water supplies failed to reach an acceptable standard.

Tuesday

The talks between Mr Ahern and Mr Blair continued in Belfast. Efforts were being made to incorporate guarantees from the Deputy First Minister, Mr Seamus Mallon, that the SDLP would co-operate in excluding Sinn Fein from government if decommissioning failed to take place by a specified date.

The Central Bank sounded a warning on rising wages, living costs and house prices. It said Irish consumers were facing an annual increase in the cost of living of as much as 3.2 per cent, well above what would be indicated by the consumer price index.

The Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, confirmed that he was conducting an investigation into the Sheedy case. Further inquiries were being carried out under the direction of the Chief Justice, Mr Justice Hamilton.

Complaints about insurance rose by 15.5 per cent last year, the Insurance Ombudsman, Ms Caroline Gill, announced. The increase, she said, reflected strong growth in the sale of new and existing products.

Wednesday

The participants in the Belfast talks reported some progress following the issuing of the IRA's Easter statement, which said "we wholeheartedly support efforts to secure a lasting resolution to the conflict".

Seven environmentalists who admitted their involvement in sabotaging a genetically-modified food crop site were applauded by supporters as they left a Co Wexford district court. Six were given the Probation Act and one was bound to the peace.

It was announced that Ireland will host, in 2003, the first Special Olympic World Summer Games to be held outside the United States.

Mr Thomas Reilly was shot dead as he arrived for work at a dairy plant in Churchtown, south Dublin.

A conference of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors was told that senior gardai would be seeking a special payment of £1,000 for working during the millennium celebrations.

Visitors to Ireland are discovering "an atmosphere which is almost rude, brusque and indifferent", a senior tourism executive warned.

Thursday

The Hillsborough Declaration was agreed by Mr Ahern and Mr Blair, setting out a framework for progress towards establishing the Northern Ireland executive.

The retail chain Superquinn was found to have breached the Groceries Order Act by asking suppliers for "support payments". The Director of Consumer Affairs, Ms Carmel Foley, threatened the company with High Court proceedings if it did not halt the practice.

The Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, told the Dail "a certain individual" had asked the county registrar to list the case of Philip Sheedy for review in the Circuit Criminal Court. He said the individual would be given a right to reply before being named.

The Health and Safety Authority and the Irish Aviation Authority confirmed that they were investigating safety standards in Ryanair's aircraft maintenance and ground-handling operations, following accidents earlier this year.

A public spending report found that only one-third of the 4,412 available single living-in accommodation units on Department of Defence property were occupied.

Hundreds of people were evacuated from Belmullet, Co Mayo, following an outbreak of fire at a local factory.