Smyth victims cannot take new case against church

Friday 28 February 2014 15.05

The High Court has ruled that three victims of abuse by paedophile priest Brendan Smyth who settled cases in 1998 may not proceed with fresh legal action against the Catholic Church.

The victims had alleged the Bishop of Kilmore and now Cardinal Seán Brady did not take steps to prevent Smyth from abusing children in the 1970s and 1980s.

Bishop of Kilmore Leo O'Reilly was sued as successor to the previous bishop Francis McKiernan. Cardinal Seán Brady is being sued in a personal capacity. 

The victims allege negligence because complaints made about Smyth in interviews with two young boys in 1975 were not reported and the boys were sworn to secrecy.

One of the victims in the current case was identified during those interviews but no action was taken to prevent further abuse, the court was told.

Lawyers for Bishop O'Reilly had argued before the High Court that the case could not proceed because of earlier settlements reached with Smyth's Norbertine Order and the church.

Under the settlements, one of the victims accepted £25,000 (€30,000).

Lawyers for the victims say the content of the 1975 interviews was "actively concealed" in their court proceedings in the 1990s.

They said if they had known they would not have settled the case for that amount.

They also said the earlier settlement was a partial one.

In his ruling on whether or not a new case could proceed against the Bishop of Kilmore, Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns said counsel for the plaintiffs were mistaken in suggesting that some new cause of action arose from the revelation about the 1975 meeting.

He said: "If a hospital doctor bungled an operation in circumstances where he had medical issues and it later emerged following a settlement of a claim by the injured party that the hospital authorities knew in advance about the doctor's problem but allowed him to continue operating, that does not amount to a new cause of action but rather is an aggravating factor."

The judge said it was a "matter of the utmost importance that the integrity of settlements, once arrived at with the benefit of proper legal advice, be upheld.

"It goes without saying that no claim could ever be regarded as finalised and concluded if it could be set aside in circumstances where a newly discovered complication were to come to light in the aftermath of a settlement.

"Settlements must in the interests of the proper administration of justice achieve finality of disputes."

He was also of the view that the alleged new or additional facts were already in the public domain when the earlier proceedings were settled.

He said in the course of the hearing the defence had handed in a number of newspaper reports, which made it clear that the information relating to the meetings in 1975 had been in the public domain for some time.

The judge said he was satisfied that the plaintiff had failed to demonstrate either that a different cause of action or different damage had arisen in the case.

In terms of the adequacy of the compensation obtained, it was not for the court to second guess quantification of damages made in a different jurisdiction some considerable time ago, particularly when the settlement was arrived at with the benefit of full legal advice.

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Galway gets €9.5m for flood repairs

Friday 28 February 2014 14.36

Galway County Council has been given almost €9.5m for clean-up and repair costs after flooding and storm events earlier this year.

The money will cover repair and restoration work for roads, car parks, piers, walkways, harbours and burial grounds which were damaged by high seas and strong winds in January.

The total allocation is made up from funds provided by several Government departments.

The council had sought €18.23m in the aftermath of some of the worst storms in living memory.

This included projected costs for long-term coastal protection and tidal defence works which are not covered in this round of funding.

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PAC directed not to publish Rehab salaries

Dáil Public Accounts Committee members have been informed that the Committee has been directed on legal advice not to publish the salaries of some executives from Rehab Care and the National Learning Network.

The Clerk of the Committee was informed of the position by the Parliamentary legal adviser.

Yesterday some executives of Rehab Care and the National Learning Network declined to provide details of their salaries to the PAC, however, the Health Services Executive subsequently provided the information to the Committee.

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Stormont backs motion criticising British govt

Friday 28 February 2014 15.06

A majority of Northern Ireland's Assembly members this afternoon supported a motion that criticised the British government for the administrative system it agreed with Sinn Féin to clarify the status of so-called on-the-runs.

The controversy was debated during a two-hour emergency session of the Assembly.

The vote was carried by 58 votes to 27.

The debate was triggered by DUP leader Peter Robinson after Tuesday's collapse of an Old Bailey trial of a Donegal man sought in connection with the 1982 Hyde Park bombing. 

John Downey had been given a letter by the Northern Ireland Office in 2007, saying he was not on a wanted list of the PSNI or any other police force. 

This was inaccurate as police in London wanted to interview him in connection with the IRA's Hyde Park bombing that claimed the lives of four British soldiers.

British Prime Minister David Cameron yesterday announced that a judge is to review the working of the administrative process that allowed individuals to establish with the Northern Ireland office if they were being sought by the police. 

Soon after the Good Friday Agreement Sinn Féin began to lobby the British and Irish governments over the on-the-runs issue.

It emerged during the week that over 200 people have received letters from the Northern Ireland Office, clarifying their status.

Political responsibility for Justice and Policing matters was transferred from Westminster in April 2010. 

In the four years since, 36 individuals have received a letter from the Northern Ireland Office setting out their status.

However, but Northern Ireland's Justice Minister, David Ford, was not told about the scheme that the NIO was operating.

Mr Ford today indicated that the scheme to deal with on-the-runs (OTRs) was still active.

Mr Ford claimed that applications from five on-the-run republican terror suspects for letters assuring them they will not be prosecuted in the UK are still being considered by the government.

The disclosure has created uncertainty over whether the administrative scheme is still being run by the coalition government.

More than 180 republicans have already received letters telling them they are not currently wanted by the police in the UK.

Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers has said that her predecessor, Conservative MP Owen Paterson, had informed Sinn Féin that no new cases would be dealt with by the current government, apart from the 38 it inherited on taking office, and had urged the republican party to bring new applications to the devolved authorities at Stormont.

But Mr Ford said his understanding from a discussion with a senior Northern Ireland Office official this morning was that there were five cases still being dealt with by the government and that those only emerged in late 2012 - more than two years after the coalition came to power.

Mr Ford said he was assured that the NIO had responsibility for the cases and not his devolved department.

Ms Villiers said she was briefed on the scheme when she came to office in September 2012.

"It was explained to me that my predecessor looked at it when he was appointed," she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"It was made very clear that it was not an amnesty, it did not confer immunity."

Ms Villiers said that, out of 38 cases pending when the coalition came to office, 12 had received a letter.

"In hindsight, yes, it is a matter of great regret to me that, in particular, neither the First Minister [Peter Robinson] or the Justice Minister was briefed on this. Because, actually, what my predecessor, Owen Paterson, had decided to do was to recommend to Sinn Féin that, if new cases arose, it was not appropriate for the government to deal with them, because policing and justice had by then been devolved.

"At that point we should have informed the devolved authorities, but we left it to Sinn Féin if they wished to raise new cases to pass them on to the devolved authorities."

Collapse of Hyde Park bombing case shone light on policy

The Stormont Assembly was recalled for the additional sitting following a request by Mr Robinson at the height of this week's political crisis over the scheme.

When Mr Robinson made the announcement on Wednesday, shortly after he had threatened to resign over the issue, there were fears the future of the power-sharing executive would be on the line during the plenary session.

But those concerns receded last night when the Democratic Unionist leader withdrew his ultimatum in response to an announcement by British Prime Minister David Cameron that he was ordering a judge-led review of the matter.

Mr Robinson, whose resignation would have seen the institutions fold, and likely a snap Assembly election, claimed assurances he had received from the government about the letters had now rendered them effectively "worthless".

Sinn Féin has rejected this interpretation, claiming the letters still hold the same status and that they had never guaranteed immunity, rather they just informed an individual whether they were currently being sought by the UK authorities.

The republican party has also accused the DUP and other political rivals of "grandstanding" on the issue and claimed the threat of collapsing the Executive was a ruse to distract the public from the fact they all already knew about the process to deal with the on-the-runs.

Mr Robinson said the deluge of calls his party had received from victims and other members of the public demonstrated there was nothing "synthetic" about the crisis.

As well as commissioning the review, the government said it would be making clear to all those who had received a letter in the past that if evidence now existed, or emerged in the future, which linked them to an offence, they could be questioned or prosecuted.

Mr Robinson claimed that move represented a fundamental change to how the scheme had operated before.

"I think that makes it clear that they (the OTRs) have a fairly worthless piece of paper," he said.

Report due by end of May

The judge appointed by Mr Cameron will report by the end of May.

Last night, Sinn Féin Assembly member Alex Maskey described the review announced by Mr Cameron as "unnecessary".

"This announcement is a political fig leaf for the DUP to try and get them off the hook they jumped on to over the past few days," he said.

This morning, Mr Maskey insisted that the DUP was aware of the processes.

Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Mr Maskey acknowledged that unionists may not have been aware of the specific function of the letters issued.

However, he said they were well aware of the process under way to resolve the issue of on-the-runs.

Mr Maskey said there was a raft of examples of evidence to that fact.

He said he did not believe it was a mistake not to make the existence of the letters public.

Mr Maskey said he did not expect that all of the individuals who had received these letters would be contacted should further evidence emerge during the course of the British government's review into the situation announced yesterday.

He said the British Attorney General had clarified that.

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Yanukovych denies ordering protesters to be shot

Friday 28 February 2014 15.12

Former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has said he had not ordered police to shoot at protesters and the responsibility for bloodshed in Kiev lay with the demonstrators.

At a news conference in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, Mr Yanukovych also said he was surprised that Russian president Vladimir Putin had said nothing in public about the past week's events in Ukraine.

He said he had not seen Mr Putin but had spoken to him by telephone during that time.

Asked about his arch-rival, former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who was released from jail last Saturday, Mr Yanukovych said he had never meant her any harm.

Ealier, more than ten Russian military helicopters flew into Ukrainian airspace over the Crimea region, the Ukrainian border guard service said.

It also said in a statement that Russian servicemen were blocking off a unit of Ukrainian border guards in the port city of Sevastopol, where part of the Russian Black Sea fleet is based.

Russia's Black Sea fleet had earlier denied any role in the seizure of a military airport near Sevastopol. 

The development comes as the European Commission called for a political solution to tension in Crimea and urged all sides to show restraint.

"The situation in Crimea will require a political solution and this can only be achieved via dialogue amongst the different parties involved," a commission spokesman said.

"We want all relevant actors, all parties to be as moderate and restrained as possible ... and to respect the integrity and unity of Ukraine."

Ukraine's interior minister said Russian forces have taken control of two airports in the Crimea region.

Arsen Avakov condemned the events as an armed invasion and occupation.

He said there had been no bloodshed or clashes when armed men, who he described as Russian naval forces, took over a military airport near the port of Sevastopol.

Mr Avakov said armed men representing Russia had also taken over Simferopol international airport without clashes.

"I consider what has happened to be an armed invasion and occupation in violation of all international agreements and norms," Mr Avakov said on his Facebook page.

He described it as an armed provocation and called for talks.

The armed men did not enter the passenger terminal and appear to be allowing the airport to function normally.

Reuters reported that the men, dressed in full battle gear and carrying assault rifles and machine guns, were moving freely in and out of the control tower.

It quoted one man as saying: "We are here to ensure general order. We don't want radicals coming on planes from Kiev.

"It was our initiative in order to stop the fire from spreading into Crimea. That's why we don't want radicalism to come here. We don't want fascism in Crimea. We want peace here."

The events came a day after armed men stormed the regional parliament building and raised a Russian flag.

Elsewhere, ousted president Viktor Yanukovych has said he intends to continue to struggle for the future of Ukraine.

Mr Yanukovych, who was speaking in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, said power in Ukraine was seized by "pro-fascist" forces.

He said the crisis is due to "irresponsible western" policy of "indulging" the protesters on Kiev's Independence Square.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered his government to continue talks with Ukraine on economic and trade relations and to consult foreign partners, including the IMF and the G8, on financial aid.

Mr Putin has also ordered his government to consider a request from Crimea for humanitarian aid.

The US has told Russia to demonstrate in the next few days that it is sincere about a promise not to intervene in Ukraine, saying using force would be a grave mistake.

"We believe that everybody now needs to take a step back and avoid any kind of provocations," said US Secretary of State John Kerry.

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Apology to parents over Portlaoise hospital deaths

Friday 28 February 2014 15.29

The Clinical Director of the Midland Regional Hospital in Portlaoise has apologised to the parents whose babies died at the maternity unit at the hospital.

In a statement this afternoon John Connaughton said the hospital and staff wish to apologise unreservedly for the unacceptable communication with the families at a time they most needed honesty compassion and kindness.

Asked why the parents of the babies were not told at the time of their death why the children had died, Mr Connaughton said investigations had begun but these investigations did not proceed at the rate they should have and that was unacceptable and cannot happen again.

A report into the deaths of a number of babies at Portlaoise Midlands Regional Hospital has found maternity services at the hospital are not safe or sustainable.

The Health Service Executive has put in place a transition team, which is now in control of maternity services at the hospital.

It will oversee the integration of Portlaoise Hospital Maternity Service with the Coombe Hospital in Dublin.

The General Manager of Naas General Hospital has taken over responsibility of the maternity unit at the Midlands Regional Hospital in Portlaoise with immediate effect.

A senior midwife at the Coombe Hospital has been appointed to the role of director of midwifery at the Midland Regional Hospital in Portlaoise.

The report was carried out by the Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Health following the broadcast of an RTÉ Investigations Unit programme, which examined the deaths of four babies at the maternity unit.

The report found that the families and patients were treated in a poor and, at times, appalling manner.

CMO Tony Holohan's report also found information that should have been given to the families was withheld for no justifiable reason.

It said poor outcomes that could likely have been prevented were identified and known by the hospital, but not adequately or satisfactorily acted upon.

The report concluded that the Portlaoise Hospital Maternity Service cannot be regarded as safe or sustainable within its current governance arrangements.

It found a shortage of staffing in Portlaoise was not the root cause of the problem. On occasions during critical incidents the correct staffing numbers were in place.

Minister for Health James Reilly has asked the HSE to look at other similar sized maternity services around Ireland.

It will consider their incorporation into managed clinical networks within their relevant hospital group.

The Health Information and Quality Authority is to conduct a full inquiry into the maternity services in Portlaoise hospital stretching back over a number of years.

Minister Reilly said today was a watershed moment in the Irish health service and would result in a change in patient safety.

He told RTÉ's News at One that cultural, training, management and governance issues had to be addressed at the hospital.

Infant's father remains angry at HSE

The father of one of the babies who died at the hospital has said there is nothing in the report that his family has not been highlighting to the HSE for the past number of years.

Mark Molloy's son Mark was one of the infants who died at the maternity unit.

Speaking on RTÉ's News at One, Mr Molloy said he believed the scale and significance of the measures announced today were unprecedented in Ireland.

He said there was a sense of pride in the work he and his family had carried out over the past two years in highlighting the problems.

However, Mr Molloy said he remained very angry with the HSE.

He said the family had been highlighting the issues about the maternity services at senior and national director level, but those concerns were ignored.

Mr Molloy said the department had found today that these same concerns needed immediate attention.

He said: "For us, when everything's implemented, when we have statistics we can rely on, when we have a syntocinon policy, safe maternity units, nobody is going to say 'well done, here's your little boy back'. Mark still will be gone for us.

"Whatever sense of pride ... and comfort we get in knowing that other babies may go home safely, it pales in significance to the loss we have had to endure to get to this day."

Further death being investigated

Mr Holohan has confirmed that the death of another baby in Portlaoise Midlands Regional Hospital is currently being investigated.

The death occurred subsequent to the death of baby Mark Molloy in 2012.

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Rehab CEO says exec pay 20% below market median

Thursday 27 February 2014 15.20

Rehab Chief Executive Angela Kerins has told the Public Accounts Committee that Rehab is not a State-run organisation and staff are not public servants.

Ms Kerins told the Committee that all of the Rehab Group management team have been paid at least 20% below the current market median for total pay for some years.

After the hearing resumed this afternoon, she was asked by Fine Gael Deputy Kieran O'Donnell about the criteria surrounding bonuses.

Ms Kerins said her contract can provide a bonus of up to 30-35% of her salary but she has never received that.

Mr O'Donnell also asked how "taking 83% of tax payers' money and salary in excess of public pay guidelines" could be reconciled.

Ms Kerins said: "We don't take money from the State, we deliver €83m worth of services to the State".

She said it would be "narrow and misleading" to compare Rehab to a normal charity.

This afternoon, Ms Kerins told the committee that Rehab aims to reveal the salaries of its senior management and its CEO from this year on.

She said Rehab is looking at its options regarding the disclosure of remuneration packages.

She said: "Our aim is 2014 onwards".

She added: "There's a genuine desire to do this and we'd like to do that this year".

She was responding to Fine Gael TD Simon Harris.

Earlier, Sinn Féin deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald challenged Ms Kerins over her pay being more than the Taoiseach and the US President.

Ms Kerins said she was a private citizen, not paid by the taxpayer and does not intend to provide any further information on her personal pay.

Ms McDonald had asked her why her salary increased by €6,000 to €240,000 in the most recent figures on her salary.

She also asked Ms Kerins about the reduction in the provision of service fees which led to a number of employees going to the Labour Court.

Ms Kerins pointed out that that was resolved in the Labour Court in 2012.

Ms McDonald put it to the Rehab CEO that she was happy to recognise and align herself with public pay policy in front of the Labour Court and while in respect of her own salary, she took "a hard line view" that she was not "linked to the public service".

Ms Kerins reiterated what she said in her opening statement that Rehab has "independent assessment of remuneration of the group management team within the Rehab group".

Ms Kerins also said there have been false impressions in the media that substantial Rehab funds were being used for lobbying and PR.

Health Service Executive Director General Tony O' Brien told the PAC that it paid over €50m a year to two Rehab companies, Rehabcare and the National Learning Network (NLN).

He said these companies were discharging their roles to an acceptable standard, in terms of service delivery, quality and cost effectiveness.

Ms Kerins told the PAC she felt it was reasonable for Rehab's lawyers to ask in advance about the parameters of the committee's hearing.

She was responding to a question from Ms McDonald, who suggested that Ms Kerins had stubbornly and publicly sought to say to the committee that it should not meddle or ask questions about its commercial sector.

Earlier, the Rehab Group denied that it sent a solicitor's letter to the PAC pointing out that its remit did not extend to the salary of Ms Kerins.

A spokesman said the legal communication to the committee was made last night by the parliamentary legal adviser, following a telephone conversation yesterday afternoon between the legal adviser and lawyers for Rehab.

Mr O'Brien told PAC that Rehabcare receives €40m for the provision of a wide range of services, including residential support, day care, home support and respite beds.

A further €13.5m is paid to NLN to provide over 1,000 rehabilitation places.

The HSE hopes to have a report on senior managers' salaries in Section 39 agencies by the end of March.

Mr O'Brien told the committee that since 2013 all these agencies with service arrangements must complete a template setting out details of pay for senior managers, Grade 8 and above.

Department of Justice Secretary General Brian Purcell told the PAC that since the introduction of the Charitable Lotteries Scheme in 1997, payments of almost €86m have been made to the Rehab Group.

This is out of a total of €124m paid out under the scheme to help the promoters of 19 private charitable lotteries.

Mr Purcell said the scheme is to be phased out completely by 2015, partly because the department believes it does not represent an efficient use of funds.

PAC Chairman John McGuinness earlier said it intended to explore the issue of executive salaries.

Mr McGuinness said the committee was anxious to look at the governance of the organisation in terms of its commercial or private operation and how this spills over into its public function.

Kerins salary obscene - Shane Ross

A member of the Public Accounts Committee has described this morning's session of the meeting with the Rehab CEO as unsatisfactory.

Speaking on RTÉ's News at One, Independent TD Shane Ross said Rehab's legal advisors had attempted to set the agenda for the meeting by laying out parameters for what would be discussed.

He also said it was unsatisfactory because the people who had been asked to appear, former Rehab CEO Frank Flannery and the members of the company's remuneration committee, were not there.

Commenting on Ms Kerins insistence that she was not paid by the taxpayer, Deputy Ross said the taxpayer paid €83m per annum to Rehab, and that the group's annual report contained a very fulsome tribute to the taxpayer, thanking the Irish and British governments for the money and subsidies it gets.

Asked about the setting of Ms Kerin's salary rate by an outside firm, Deputy Ross said this process compared Ms Kerin's salary with global companies of that size.

However, he said the average Irish charity paid its Chief Executive about €60,000 a year.

Deputy Ross said Ms Kerin's salary of €240,000 was obscene by Irish standards.

He said the PAC did not yet know what Ms Kerin's pay was last year, and whether or not it was adjusted specifically for this meeting or for the figure being released.

He said he intended to question Ms Kerins again this afternoon on these issues.

Deputy Ross said he would also ask the committee to call in the last Rehab Chief Executive, the remuneration committee and the Chairman.

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Cameron announces inquiry into 'on-the-runs'

Thursday 27 February 2014 15.16

British Prime Minister David Cameron has announced that a judge will be appointed to investigate the operation of a government scheme to deal with on-the-run republicans.

He said he accepted calls for a "full, independent examination" of the process after Democratic Unionist First Minister Peter Robinson threatened to resign.

Details of 187 letters sent to so-called on-the-run republicans (OTRs), assuring them that they would not be prosecuted if they returned to Northern Ireland, emerged when a case against a man charged with the 1982 IRA Hyde Park bomb collapsed.

"I agree with the First Minister of Northern Ireland that, after the terrible error in the [John] Downey case, it is right to get to the bottom of what happened," Mr Cameron said.

"The case has already been referred to the Police Ombudsman but, as the First Minister has said, we should have a full, independent examination of the whole operation of this scheme.

"So I can announce today that we will appoint an independent judge to produce a full public account of the operation of this administrative scheme to determine whether any other letters were sent in error."

The judge will be given "full access to government files and officials" and will report by May, Mr Cameron said, with the findings being published.

British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg earlier said his government was looking "urgently" at Mr Robinson's call.

However, the Liberal Democrat leader warned against allowing the Downey case to escalate into a "full-blown political crisis".

It emerged this week that the Tony Blair-led government had agreed with Sinn Féin a process to allow individuals establish if they were on police wanted lists and to provide them with letters setting out their situation.

More than 30 of the 187 letters were issued since Mr Cameron took over as prime minister in 2010.

Unionist threat is a 'distraction' - McGuinness

Martin McGuinness earlier claimed unionists' threats to collapse the Stormont administration over the deal are an attempt to distract from the fact they knew the process existed.

The Sinn Féin Deputy First Minister insisted drastic action, such as Mr Robinson's resignation, would achieve nothing.

"I think Peter is well aware of my view that this is a time for steady leadership, this is a time for calm nerves, this is a time for solutions to the present scenario we find ourselves in," he said.

"This is certainly not the time - though I don't fear it at all - for an election."

Mr McGuinness said he would never voluntarily walk away from the devolved institutions.

"I will never resign," he said after meeting Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers to discuss the issue.

DUP claims that it was unaware of the deal between the British government and Sinn Féin have been questioned.

It has emerged that a senior PSNI officer briefed members of the NI Policing Board on elements of the scheme in 2010, albeit without mention of the letters.

DUP members were present at that meeting. The issue was also mentioned in the high-profile 2009 Eames-Bradley report on dealing with the legacy of the Troubles.

Mr McGuinness said: "I think that the angst among unionist politicians is more centred around the common belief out there in society and in the media that they knew all about this.

"They may not have known about the letters, but they knew about the scheme and they knew that these people who were described as on-the-runs were being processed.

"I think that's where the annoyance comes from."

Trimble knew nothing about letters

Former first minister David Trimble has insisted he knew "absolutely nothing" of the letters, and said he believed the British government had conspired with Sinn Féin.

"I would dearly love to know who signed off on that," he told BBC Radio. "I don't know anybody who knew about it."

Meanwhile, Northern Ireland's Justice Minister David Ford has said he was not informed about the process.

Mr Ford, who is the leader of the Alliance Party leader, said he supported Mr Robinson's call for an inquiry.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said the Department of Foreign Affairs was involved in issues surrounding the case of Mr Downey.

Mr Kenny said the issue of on-the-runs had been a central issue since the Good Friday Agreement.

He said there was a democratic mandate that had to be fulfilled.

Mr Kenny said he hoped the Assembly and powersharing executive will deal with the issue in a pragmatic fashion.

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Cunningham sentenced over money laundering

Thursday 27 February 2014 14.07

A 65-year-old financier has been given a five-year suspended sentence after he pleaded guilty to laundering more than Stg £250,000 from the Northern Bank raid in Belfast.

Ted Cunningham from Farran in Co Cork had protested his innocence on the charges for almost a decade.

The suspended sentence imposed on him reflects the fact that he has already served three-years in jail after he was convicted by a jury at his original trial.

The Court of Criminal appeal later ordered a retrial where he again pleaded not guilty but changed his plea after four days. 

Almost £3m seized by gardaí from Cunningham's home and from other locations has been forfeited to the State.

The December 2004 Northern Bank raid was the biggest robbery ever on the island of Ireland.

It is believed to have been organised by the IRA and a gang escaped with over £26.5m in Northern Bank notes. 

In February 2005, gardaí seized £2.3m in Northern Bank notes from a locked cupboard in the basement of Cunningham's home at Farran.

Gardaí seized hundreds of thousands more at other locations.

But for almost a decade, Cunningham denied that the money came from the Northern Bank raid.

Throughout one of the most complex garda investigations ever mounted in the State, through a 45-day trial, an appeal and a re-trial which began a fortnight ago, Cunningham continued to protest his innocence.

He changed his plea four days into his second trial, accepting that he had laundered more than £275,000 from the Northern Bank raid.

The DPP accepted the plea and did not proceed with the other charges.

Judge Sean Ó Donnabháin this morning sentenced Cunningham to a five-year suspended jail term. He also banned him from working in the financial services area.

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Ukrainian parliament approves coalition

Thursday 27 February 2014 14.08

Ukraine's parliament has agreed the country should be led by a coalition government and has approved former economy minister Arseny Yatsenyuk to lead it as prime minister.

"Our country is on the brink of economic and political collapse," he told parliament after his nomination.

He also warned that Ukraine faced threats to its territorial integrity and promising to pursue European integration.

Mr Yatsenyuk said the government would have to take unpopular decisions to guide the country through an economic crisis.

In his speech, he charted a course towards the European Union and urged Russia to cooperate with Ukraine following the ouster of President Viktor Yanukovych.

"There is no other way out for us than to take extremely unpopular decisions," he said.

His speech received loud applause.

The parliament later approved Mr Yatsenyuk's nomination as prime minister.

Earlier, Mr Yanukovych said he is still the legitimate president of Ukraine and people in the country's southeastern and southern regions would never accept the "lawlessness" brought by leaders chosen by a mob.

Russian news agencies quoted a statement by Mr Yanukovych as saying he had asked Moscow to guarantee his personal safety.

"I, Viktor Fedorovich Yanukovych ... consider myself the lawful head of the Ukrainian government," he said.

Russia has also reportedly agreed to ensure Mr Yanukovych's personal safety.

NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has said he was concerned about developments in Ukraine's Crimea and urged Russia not to do anything that would "escalate tension or create misunderstanding".

Armed pro-Russian gunmen are in control of the parliament and government headquarters in Crimea, the regional prime minister has said.

Crimean premier Anatoliy Mohilyov confirmed that up to 50 men with weapons seized the buildings during the night, raised the Russian flags over them and were blocking government workers from entering.

Local authorities were preparing to "take measures", Mr Mohilyov said without adding any more details.

Ukrainian police and interior ministry troops have been put on alert after the events in Simferopol.

Interim president Oleksander Turchynov said any Russian military troop movements outside of its Black Sea base in Crimea would be seen as an act of aggression.

The Russian defence ministry has said it has put fighter jets on combat alert on its western borders.

It said: "Constant air patrols are being carried out by fighter jets in the border regions.

"From the moment they received the signal to be on high alert, the air force in the western military region left for the air bases."

The move comes a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin put 150,000 troops on high alert in a show of strength.

Mr Putin ordered soldiers to be ready for war games near the border with Ukraine.

Russia's foreign ministry said it will abide by treaties regarding its Black Sea fleet in Ukraine's Crimea region.

"Regarding the statements about Russia's violation of the agreements on the Black Sea fleet, we declare that in the current difficult situation the Russian Black Sea fleet is strictly adhering to said agreements," Russian agencies quoted a foreign ministry spokesman as saying.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's new leaders have warned of "unpopular steps" to stabilise the country.

The new ministers were announced to the crowd in Independence Square in Kiev last night.

The square was the scene of some of the most violent clashes in the turmoil that led to the ousting of Mr Yanukovych as president.

Mr Turchynov, who is also speaker of the parliament, was named interim president in place of Mr Yanukovych at the weekend.

He warned the crowd that the new government will have to take some unpopular decisions.

"I want to say this government will have to pass unpopular decisions. Not those decisions that populists were shouting about," he said.

"These will be the decisions that will stop Ukraine from defaulting, decisions that will regain the trust of investors and creditors, decisions that will provide a normal life for the Ukrainian people.

"The government will be criticised, treated like dirt, they will be beaten, but they must fulfil their obligations and work to the bone for the sake of Ukraine."

Mr Yatsenyuk told the BBC that the main challenge was to stabilise the country.

"We are on the brink of a disaster and this is the government of political suiciders. So welcome to hell," he said.

Follow RTÉ's Tony Connolly in Crimea on Twitter @tconnellyRTE 

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Man loses Supreme Court case for bilingual jury

Thursday 27 February 2014 15.23

A native Irish speaker who is due to go on trial for assault has lost his Supreme Court bid to have his case heard by a bilingual jury.

Peadar Ó Maicín  from Rosmuc in Connemara, but who is now living in Salthill, Co Galway, is charged with producing a broken whiskey bottle and assaulting another man in Leitir Móir in 2008.

He is due to go on trial at Galway Circuit Criminal Court.

The alleged victim of the offences is also a native Irish speaker.

Mr Ó Maicín had claimed he was entitled to present his defence in Irish and to have his case heard by a jury who were sufficiently competent in Irish to hear the case without the assistance of a translator.

He lost his case in the High Court and appealed to the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court ruled against him by a four to one majority.

In his judgment, Mr Justice Frank Clarke said that Mr Ó Maicín enjoyed a constitutional right to conduct official business fully in Irish. 

But he said that right was not absolute and may have to give way to other considerations.

These included the significant number of people - even in Gaeltacht areas - who would not have sufficient competence in Irish as well as the need to respect the rights of others to use English as an official language and the constitutional imperative that juries be truly representative.

The judge said that in current conditions and even in Gaeltacht areas, it would not be possible to empanel a jury with sufficient competence to conduct an important criminal trial in Irish without a translator, without excluding a significant number of people from the entitlement to sit on the jury.

He said that conferring on Mr Ó Maicín the rights he asserted would result in the exclusion of a significant number of people from the jury panel. 

He said this would be constitutionally impermissible and would render such a jury in breach of the constitutional requirement of representativeness.

He said if the underlying conditions were to change, then the balance between Mr Ó Maicín's language rights and the constitutional imperative might change.

However, he said for the present he was not satisfied that Mr Ó Maicín was entitled to the type of jury he sought.

In a dissenting judgment, Mr Justice Adrian Hardiman made a declaration that Mr Ó Maicín was entitled to be tried before a jury who would understand evidence given in Irish directly, without the assistance of an interpreter.

In his judgment, Mr Justice Hardiman said the State and organs of Government had cast the entire burden of promoting the use of the Irish language on successive generations of school children.

He said apart from that, the actions of the State in relation to the Irish language had been uniformly minimalist and grudging.   

The judge also said he did not believe there was any other country in the world in which a citizen would not be entitled to conduct his business before a court in the national and first official language and to be understood directly by such court in that language.

Mr Justice Hardiman also pointed out that there were no legislative provisions requiring a person summoned to serve as a juror to have or demonstrate competence in either of the official languages of the State - Irish or English.  

He said this was an extraordinary state of affairs and required urgent legislative attention.

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Govt jobs plan to focus on start-up sector

Thursday 27 February 2014 15.37

The Government has published its latest action plan for job creation.

It said it aims to focus on entrepreneurship and foreign direct investment as a means to boost employment.

Ireland's unemployment figure has improved recently, but it is still above the European average and a source of concern.

This morning's special Cabinet meeting focused on boosting the building sector and getting unemployed construction workers back into jobs.

The Government is also looking at ways of creating sustainable jobs in other parts of the economy.

Its 2014 action plan focuses on the start-up sector, which it said two-thirds of new jobs come from.

What has been described as an 'X-Factor' style competition to find each county's best entrepreneur is among the measures.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore and Minister for Jobs Richard Bruton published the plan this morning.

Mr Kenny said he expects Ireland's unemployment level will reach the European average very shortly.

He said the economy is in a very different environment to that when the Government came to power and exiting the bailout was only "the end of the beginning".

The Tánaiste said job creation needed to be done on a cross-Government basis.

Mr Gilmore said 2013 had seen job growth and the latest Live Register figures reflected further positive change.

Minister Bruton said the Government could "do better" in encouraging entrepreneurship.

He said more resources would be deployed to help the IDA target new growth areas.

Speaking later on RTÉ's Today with Sean O'Rourke, Mr Bruton said the latest figures show the Government's planned approach to job creation is working.

However, he also acknowledged that over 12% of the population are out of work and that Ireland still has high emigration.

Commenting on the creation of 35 new overseas positions with the IDA, Minister Bruton said the IDA would be targeting emerging markets and new sectors where growth opportunities had been identified.

He said the Government recognised that entrepreneurship is what will drive new growth.

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Robinson in threat to resign over Hyde Park case

Wednesday 26 February 2014 13.57

Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson has threatened to resign unless there is a judicial inquiry into the circumstances behind the collapse of a trial in London yesterday.

Donegal man John Downey, who was charged in connection with 1982 Hyde Park bombing that left four British soldiers dead, walked free from the Old Bailey. 

The DUP leader said he was not prepared to remain as First Minister in a power-sharing administration that is being kept in the dark about such an important matter. 

Unionist politicians have requested the British government clarify if a deal was made with "on-the-run" republicans in 2007.

Under European Convention on Human Rights legislation, an individual is entitled to be told by the authorities if they are being sought in relation to criminal proceedings.

The PSNI was requested to carry out checks on dozens of such individuals.

Mr Downey had a "letter of assurance" that he was not wanted by police and it was a crucial factor in his defence.

Mr Robinson called for all letters sent out to be rescinded and wants "full disclosure" of what had happened.  

He said: "I am not prepared to be kept in the dark by Her Majesty's government about matters relevant to Northern Ireland.

"I want a full judicial inquiry to find out who knew, when they knew and what they knew. I want to know who they are and what crimes they are believed to have committed."

Mr Robinson felt deceived by the government, and if he and former DUP leader Ian Paisley had known about this, they would not have entered into power-sharing government with Sinn Féin in 2007.

British Prime Minister David Cameron condemned the actions that led to the collapse of the case.

He said the letter giving Mr Downey a false assurance that he was not wanted by British police over the IRA attack should never have been sent.

Mr Cameron added that a rapid factual review would be carried out to make sure "this cannot happen again".

Responsibility for justice and policing in Northern Ireland in 2007 fell to Westminster and not Stormont, so the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland was the key political figure.

Sinn Féin was pressing for clarity on the status of people who at some stage during the Troubles had been linked to criminal investigations but not formally charged.

A key issue in the controversy is how and why PSNI assessments that a person was not sought in Northern Ireland were extended to include police forces beyond Northern Ireland.

Mr Robinson claimed Mr Downey had been handed a "get out of jail free card" by former prime minister Tony Blair's government.

He said justice should not have a "sell by date".

"This conclusion is an outrage and a dark day for justice in the United Kingdom," he said.

"It is little wonder that some have lost faith in our justice system.

"Mr Downey was being tried for one of the most heinous atrocities of the Troubles, but has now invoked a get out of jail free card which he and his cohorts were handed by Tony Blair's government."

Villiers acknowledges 'serious implications' of collapse

Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers acknowledged the "very serious implications" that the collapse of the case could have on stability and devolution and said the Government did not support an amnesty for terrorists.

She told the Commons during Northern Ireland questions: "This Government does not support amnesties for terrorists and we oppose the legislation put forward by the previous government, which would have amounted to an effective amnesty."

Former secretary of state for Northern Ireland Peter Hain said yesterday that while he understood the anger of the families, the arrangement for dealing with the on-the-runs had been an essential part of the peace process.

"You often get this at the end of wars and conflicts. You often get what seem to be unseemly processes in order to end the violence and stop them happening again," he told the BBC.

"Awful atrocities like this hideous attack on London could happen and would still have been happening had there not been put in train - both before Tony Blair became prime minister and then at the Good Friday Agreement - a process that ended the horror, the war, the terrorism and brought Northern Ireland to where we are now with old enemies sharing power."

Mr Hain, who said that he was no longer in the post when the letter was sent to Mr Downey assuring him that he was no longer at risk of prosecution, nevertheless said he had been "astonished" by what had happened in this particular case.

"I am surprised about the detail of this case because in other cases, of which there were many, they (the PSNI) had conducted a painstaking investigation to check carefully and methodically whether it was possible to find the evidence to bring a prosecution," he said.

"They decided in Mr Downey's case that there wasn't. He was a suspect for this crime and a suspect alone. It seems that there was an error."

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Anglo loans with book value of €7 billion sold

Wednesday 26 February 2014 14.03

Liquidators appointed to the collapsed Anglo Irish Bank have sold a second loan portfolio with a book value of €7.3 billion.

Minister for Finance Michael Noonan said the sale was completed above the initial valuation, which is likely to have been significantly below the €7.3bn at which they were valued on Anglo's books.

Anglo Irish, renamed the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation (IBRC) in its final years, was put into liquidation last year.

The liquidators, KPMG, must either complete the sale of its assets by early this year or transfer them to the National Asset Management Agency.

"The sale of this entire portfolio on top of the success of the Project Evergreen sale late last year will considerably reduce the amount of assets that are now expected to transfer to NAMA and bodes well for the ultimate success of the liquidation," Mr Noonan said in a statement.

The "Projects Rock and Salt" portfolio is comprised of mostly commercial property loans, which were written through the UK branch and UK subsidiary companies of IBRC.

Successful bidders for the loans included Lone Star Real Estate Fund III and a Sankaty Advisors, LLC/Canyon Capital Advisors LLC consortium. 

IBRC's Special Liquidators are also in the process of selling other loans books, including the Project Sand book, the Project Stone book and the Project Pebble book. These are worth about €1.8bn, €9.3bn and €800m respectively.

Bidders for IBRC mortgages to follow arrears code

The Special Liquidators of IBRC will appear before the Oireachtas Finance Committee to answer questions about the sale of 13,000 mortgages later today. 

The development follows agreement from bidders for the mortgages to provide consumer protection to home owners in arrears. 

After weeks of pressure last night liquidators announced an agreement with bidders for the IBRC loan book. 

The agreement means if any company buys the mortgages it will agree to a code protecting consumers in arrears. 

The liquidators said they had noted the concerns of home owners, politicians and Mr Noonan. The bidders are to volunteer to follow a code to protect consumers in arrears. 

But oppositions politicians and consumer advocates have continued to raise questions about the issue. They asked whether a voluntary agreement would be legally enforceable and who would police it. 

The liquidators will have an opportunity to answers those questions when they appear before politicians later this afternoon.   

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Hundreds of Bank of Ireland accounts skimmed

Wednesday 26 February 2014 14.04

Thousands of euro was stolen from customers in two Bank of Ireland branches when their current accounts were skimmed.

The electronic scam came to light on Sunday evening, prompting account holders in Graiguenamanagh in Co Kilkenny and in Borris in Co Carlow to contact their local branches.

It is understood that Bank of Ireland branches in Roscommon and Mayo were also hit in the past several weeks by the same scam.

Numerous customers had more than €2,000 taken from their accounts, while others had several hundred euro taken out in small amounts over several days.

It is believed the skimming operation took place over three dates in January at the Graiguenamanagh and Borris branches, but that the fraudulent withdrawals only appeared on customer accounts over two weekends.

Sums of €146.13 were taken from accounts over several days and showed up on account statements as $200 being withdrawn from ATMs in the US.

It is thought a small camera was placed at the side of the ATM and an electronic device slipped over where the card was placed into the machine.

The data is then downloaded by computer and sold on to fraudsters in countries that do not use chip and pin cards, such as the US, where the fraudulent activity was noticed.

A Bank of Ireland spokesperson confirmed that gardaí have been notified.

All of the affected customers will have their accounts reimbursed over the next couple of days and new cards will be issued.

In a statement the bank said: "Bank of Ireland wishes to reassure customers that it is our policy to fully refund any losses sustained as a result of this criminal activity.

"The bank is proactively contacting customers to confirm the fraud and issue replacement cards and will continue to closely monitor the situation, which is also under investigation by the gardaí.

"The bank may also cancel and reissue cards to customers to protect them from fraud if their card details are at risk."

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Pro-Russia separatists clash at Crimea parliament

Wednesday 26 February 2014 14.08

Pro-Russia separatists and supporters of Ukraine's new leaders confronted each other outside Crimea's regional parliament before a planned debate on the political upheaval in the country.

The parliamentary session was later cancelled and the crowds have started to disperse.

About 2,000 people, many of them ethnic Tatars who are the indigenous group on the Black Sea peninsula, had converged on the parliament building to support the 'Euro-Maidan' movement which over turned Viktor Yanukovych in Kiev.

They were met by several hundred pro-Russia demonstrators who shouted loyalty to Moscow and denounced the "bandits" who had seized power in the Ukrainian capital.

Crimea was gifted to Ukraine in 1954 in the Soviet-era by then Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev.

With a part of Russia's Black Sea fleet based in the port of Sevastopol, it remains the only region of Ukraine where ethnic Russians dominate in numbers.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's acting interior minister said he has disbanded the elite Berkut riot police that protesters blamed for most of the deaths last week in Kiev.

"The Berkut is no more," acting interior minister Arsen Avakov wrote on his Facebook account.

"I have signed Decree No 144, dated 25 February 2014 on the dissolution of the Berkut special police units of civil defence."

Elsewhere, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called on democracy watchdog, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, to "decisively condemn" the rise of "nationalist and neo-fascist" sentiment in western Ukraine.         

In a foreign ministry statement, Mr Lavrov also said the OSCE should condemn attempts by nationalists to ban the Russian language in Ukraine.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said the crisis in Ukraine should not be seen as a battle between east and west.

He called for all nations to work together to bring stability as the country deals with political uncertainty following months of unrest.

Mr Kerry was speaking alongside his British counterpart, William Hague at a news conference in Washington.

An Irish expert on post-Communist politics, Professor Neil Robinson, said it will be imperative that the provisional leaders of Ukraine are able to gain support throughout the country and secure emergency funding for Ukraine.

Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, he said territorial unity will pose a problem in the Crimea - an ethnically Russian region - because Russia has not yet made its position clear.

His comments come as a unity government is expected to be formed tomorrow and fresh elections are due to take place in May. 

The economic stability of Ukraine is in doubt, as it faces bankruptcy and a promised loan from Russia is looking unlikely. 

Prof Robinson added that the International Monetary Fund is reluctant to issue any more funds to the Ukrainian government after it failed to reform after previous bailouts.

"The IMF Article 6 consultation last December was quite critical of Ukrainian government's failure to reform and honour is past promises."

"The IMF has given bailouts to Ukraine, namely a small amount of money in 1990s followed by a large tranche of aid in 2008 and in 2010 to stave off major financial crisis, but the disbursement of that money was frozen in 2011 due to Ukraine's failure to reform its oil and gas industries," he said. 

Putin puts troops in western Russia on alert in drill

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an urgent drill to test the combat readiness of the armed forces across western Russia, news agencies reported.

Mr Putin has ordered several such surprise drills in various parts of Russia since he returned to the presidency in 2012, saying the military must be kept on its toes, but the geopolitical overtones could hardly have been clearer this time.

The western district borders Ukraine, which lies between NATO nations and Russia.

The drill will be conducted in two stages, ending on 3 March, and also involved some forces in central Russia.

Mr Putin has made no public comment on Ukraine since Mr Yanukovych was driven from power over the weekend.

The United States and European nations have warned Russia against military intervention in Ukraine, a former Soviet republic that Mr Putin has called a "brother nation" and wants to be part of a Eurasian Union he is building in the region.

Russian officials have said Moscow will not interfere in Ukraine, while accusing the West of doing so, and Interfax cited the speaker of the upper parliament house, Valentina Matviyenko, as saying today it would not use force.

But Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on Monday that Russia's interests and its citizens in Ukraine were under threat, language reminiscent of statements justifying Russia's invasion of Georgia in 2008, when he was president. 

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Shatter denies misleading Dáil over McCabe claims

Wednesday 26 February 2014 15.01

Minister for Justice Alan Shatter has denied that he misled the Dáil in October when he said garda whistleblower Sergeant Maurice McCabe had not cooperated with the garda inquiry into penalty points.

Minister Shatter was speaking as he opened the Dáil debate on the Government's handling of allegations of garda malpractice.

The Government appointed barrister Seán Guerin yesterday to look into how allegations from Sgt McCabe were handled.

Mr Guerin has been asked to examine if the controversy merits a formal Commission of Inquiry.

Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin have both called for an immediate Commission of Inquiry.

Mr Shatter said any allegation of wrongdoing must be taken seriously and allegations are not facts.

The minister said Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin should have allowed the Taoiseach to deal with the allegations if his primary motion was to have them examined.

Mr Shatter said that as minister he was solemnly bound to protect the rights of all citizens.

He said he had no animosity towards Sgt McCabe and no desire to have a public or private dispute with a garda.

Mr Shatter said he regretted the fact that allegations made by Sgt McCabe have been caught up in partisan and political debate.

He said that all whistleblowers should be treated with respect.

Mr Shatter said it will be the decision of Mr Guerin whether a Commission of Inquiry is required.

He said Mr Guerin is being asked to report his findings before the Easter recess and to make recommendations.

He said the report will be published immediately and if he does recommend a Commission of Inquiry, there will be one, but he did not want to prejudge the issue.

In response, Mr Martin accused the minister of going "down the road of distraction".

He said blaming the last government was cynical and pathetic, and the Cabinet decision yesterday to review the matter externally was significant.

Mr Martin said a number of serious questions had arisen and there was no faith that they were been investigated properly.

He said efforts had been made at various levels to dampen or squash allegations.

Mr Martin said that efforts to distract from the serious allegations would not work.

He said: "Minister Shatter has adopted the strategy that attack is the only form of defence."

Mr Martin accused the minister of being "willing to lay down his friends to protect himself".

He accused the minister of being unable to admit when he is in the wrong and having the humility to say sorry.

Mr Martin said he should apologise to Sgt McCabe for saying he did not cooperate with the internal garda inquiry led by Assistant Commissioner John O'Mahony.

Adams says Shatter has failed 'miserably'

Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams accused Mr Shatter of failing miserably on the issue of whistleblowers.

He said the recent scandals have demonstrated an unhealthy close relationship between Mr Shatter and Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan.

Mr Adams said there had been a failure to properly address the issues that have emerged for the justice system and gardaí.

He said the first instinct had been to circle the wagons around senior gardaí, rather than get to the bottom of the matter.

The only credible way to bring this "chaotic episode to a conclusion is to provide a Commission of Inquiry", he said.

Mr Adams said the appointment of a barrister to examine the claims of garda malpractice is not enough.

He also criticised Mr Shatter for not addressing the dismissal of confidential recipient Oliver Connolly in his speech.

He said his was the "only head to roll in this series of scandals".

Independent TD Mick Wallace said the proposal to appoint a barrister to investigate the claims was wholly inadequate.

He criticised Minister Shatter for a lack of effort to improve relations between the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission and gardaí.

In an emotional address, Mr Wallace said: "The commissioner said we should rely on trust and confidence and he would give information when he saw fit.

"It just seems to get worse and worse."

Independent TD Clare Daly said every response put forward by the Government has been "too little, too late", and called for a "proper commission of inquiry".

She also suggested that Commissioner Callinan be dismissed as a result of allegations of garda malpractice.

She told Minister Shatter that he will "soldier out" the controversy by sacrificing those around him.

Socialist TD Joe Higgins said the uniform response of the Governmnet has been to "close ranks".

He said it was not because of the "close professional relationship" between the Minister for Justice and Garda Commissioner, but it was because the Government and its predecessors rely on gardaí to "implement right wing neo-liberal policies against the opposition of ordinary people". 

Kenny explains sacking of Confidential Recipient

The Taoiseach has said Confidential Garda Recipient Oliver Connolly was sacked because he would not confirm if he had made controversial comments about Minister Shatter.

Speaking in the Dáil, Mr Kenny said the transcript of an alleged conversation between Sgt McCabe and Mr Connolly were "outrageous".

He said: "The recipient did not answer the question: 'Did you say these things, is this what you said?' 

"You could not have a situation without answering those straight questions, so for that reason his position became untenable."

Campaigners criticise Government

The Chief Executive of Transparency International Ireland has said that he does not believe the Government is taking the controversy seriously enough.

Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, John Devitt said the interim review of the matter is just delaying the inevitable and it was only a matter of time before a committee of investigation was undertaken.

He said: "This whole affair is begging questions about the competence and the willingness of both senior management in Phoenix Park and the Department of Justice to get to grips with what's going on and to uncover the truth."

He welcomed the fact that gardaí will soon be able to complain directly to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman office, but said the Government needed to equip GSOC with adequate staffing levels.

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Two arrests in Edenderry murder inquiry

Wednesday 26 February 2014 15.13

Two men, both aged 19, have been arrested in connection with the death of Thomas Dooley in Edenderry, Co Offaly earlier this month.

One man was arrested this morning in Edenderry and is being held at Tullamore Garda Station.

This afternoon, a second man was arrested in Edenderry and is being held at Birr Garda Station.

The body of Thomas (Toddy) Dooley was found in his house at Sister Senan Court on 16 February.

He had sustained injuries to his upper body and was pronounced dead at the scene.

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Bank card fraud increased in Europe in 2012

Tuesday 25 February 2014 13.52

A new report from the European Central Bank has found that credit and debit card online fraud increased in the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) in 2012.

It was the first increase since 2008.

An estimated €1 in every €2,635 was lost as a result of fraud. That represents 0.038% of a total of €3.5 trillion in transactions, up from 0.036% in 2011, the ECB said.

The total value of fraud increased by 14.8% to €1.33 billion in 2012.

The ECB suggested that the increase in fraud is related to a strong growth in online sales.

It said that more efforts will be required in order to ensure the security of online card payments as online sales continue to increase.

The ECB said 60% of the fraud was as a result of payments made via post, telephone or online.

Roughly a quarter of fraud originated as a result of using point of sale terminals (POS), while a sixth was from ATMs.

SEPA includes the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway and Switzerland.
 
"These data show we must remain vigilant against card fraud, although it is also reassuring to see that counterfeit levels are lower inside SEPA than outside, thanks to higher security standards," ECB vice president Vitor Constancio said.

The report also found that, on average, cards issued in France, the UK and Luxembourg experienced the highest losses from fraud as a proportion of regular transactions.

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30 killed in Pakistan air strikes

Tuesday 25 February 2014 13.17

Pakistani fighter jets and gunship helicopters have bombarded hideouts of Taliban militants in the northwest of the country, killing at least 30 militants.

The early morning attack on hideouts in the north and south Waziristan tribal districts were the fourth in a series of airstrikes by the Pakistan Air Force since 20 February.

The airforce has been hitting targets in the region since the government's efforts to engage Taliban insurgents in peace negotiations broke down earlier this month.

North Waziristan residents have been fleeing the area on the Afghan border in recent days, anticipating a full-scale military offensive.

They have left their homes, shops and villages behind and settled in safer areas, such as Bannu, a town on the edge of the region.

It has not been possible to verify how many civilians might have been killed or wounded as journalists and independent observers are not allowed to operate freely in the area.

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Child poverty rates 'unacceptably high'

Tuesday 25 February 2014 13.54

The Children's Rights Alliance has said a high percentage of separated migrant children continue to go missing and overall child poverty rates are unacceptably high.

It also says infant mortality rates for Traveller children are three-and-a-half times those for the rest of the population.

The alliance is made up of over 100 of Ireland's non-governmental children's organisations.

In its annual report card it evaluates the Government on last year's progress in meeting the Programme for Government's commitments to minors.

It awards ministers B grades in the areas of constitutional rights, education and protection from abuse and neglect.

However, it fails them when it comes to child poverty, mental health, travellers and migrants.

It reserves its lowest mark for the treatment of migrant children, especially in the State's widely-criticised direct provision hostels for asylum seekers.

The report warns that a high percentage of migrant children arriving in Ireland without parent figures continue to go missing despite the decline in new arrivals.

The alliance said almost one in ten children are doing without necessities such as a meat, fish or vegetarian dinner every second day.

The report warns that there has been little meaningful action to improve the lives of Traveller children.

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Journalist in court charged with sex offences

Tuesday 25 February 2014 14.56

A 50-year-old journalist has appeared in court charged with 50 sex offences involving teenage girls.

The man, who cannot be identified at this stage of the proceedings, was arrested just after 9am and taken to Ballymun Garda Station.

After caution, he made no reply to the charges.

He faces seven charges of engaging in a sexual act with an underage child on dates in 2011.

The man also faces three charges of sexual assault against the same person on dates in 2007 at a number of locations, including a hotel car park in Dublin and Donegal.

He faces 40 charges relating to child exploitation, including inducing or coercing a child to engage in the production of child pornography and inducing or coercing her to engage in a sexual, indecent or obscene act.

These offences are alleged to have occurred between 2008 and 2011.

The man was remanded on bail on his own bond of €500 and an independent surety of €2,000.

As part of his bail conditions, he must sign on three times a week at Ballymun Garda Station. He has also surrendered his passport.

He is due in court again on 29 April.

The court heard the Director of Public Prosecutions had directed he be tried on indictment, which means he will be sent forward to a higher court for trial.

He had not yet indicated how he will plead to the charges.

Defence solicitor Michael Hennessey told Judge Cormac Dunne that the DPP agreed the case should have reporting restrictions because of the nature of the charges.

This means the man cannot be identified at this stage.

Mr Hennessey told the judge the man would be applying for legal aid at the next court sitting.

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Barrister to examine whistleblower claims

Tuesday 25 February 2014 15.27

The Government has appointed barrister Seán Guerin to examine the claims made by garda whistleblower Sergeant Maurice McCabe to determine whether a full inquiry is warranted.

The decision was taken at this morning's Cabinet meeting, which was briefed on the controversy by Minister for Justice Alan Shatter.

It follows more controversy over allegations that serious crimes were not investigated properly.

The Cabinet also assessed internal correspondence from the Department of Justice with Sgt McCabe.

The decision to appoint the barrister follows calls from the Opposition for an independent inquiry.

Sgt McCabe last night rejected claims that he was instructed by Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan to take part in an inquiry into the allegations that penalty points had been cancelled.

In a detailed statement seen by RTÉ's Prime Time, Sgt McCabe said he was never contacted by the investigation team and never withheld any information or cooperation from the inquiry.

The whistleblower has accused gardaí of making "gravely misleading and false" claims.

Sgt McCabe said the direction issued by the commissioner concerned his accessing the Garda's PULSE system regarding the cancellation of fixed charge notices and that he should "desist" from doing so.

The commissioner said he issued a direction to Sgt McCabe on 14 December 2012 to cooperate with the investigation being carried out by Assistant Commissioner John O'Mahony.

Assistant Commissioner O'Mahony told the Public Accounts Committee he did not engage with Sgt McCabe during the investigation because of the information he himself had from the Garda's PULSE computer system.

"I found what was on PULSE did not accurately reflect what they (the whistleblowers) were alleging," he said.

Speaking before this morning's Cabinet meeting, Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin said the general view of the Government is that there is complete confidence in An Garda Síochána and that it should be accountable in every way.

Mr Howlin said he understood how there can be so much contradictory information around the controversy because of his experiences with the McBrearty affair in Donegal.

He also said he understood how complex these issues can become and how they need to be unravelled calmly and clearly

Asked about the latest statement by Sgt McCabe, Mr Howlin said he had only heard about it on RTÉ's Morning Ireland.

He said he is bringing legislation through the Oireachtas to ensure that anyone who works in the public or private sector can expose wrongdoing with absolute impunity. 

The Cabinet decided last week to appoint a retired High Court judge to look into claims that the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission offices were bugged.

Fianna Fáil has described the decision to appoint a barrister as disappointing and an "unbelievably weak response".

Its justice spokesperson Niall Collins said: "This latest development is, quite simply, unbelievable.

"The Government should not need a senior counsel to advise on what is the right thing to do.

"The Government's effort seems to have moved from getting to the truth, to establishing a method to avoid a thorough examination.

"This falls far short of what is needed and will only serve to further undermine public confidence."

Meanwhile, Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams has said time should be set aside today for the Dáil to discuss the latest issues in the controversy.

"The cases allegedly include such serious issues as murder, abduction and assault," he said.

"There is also the allegation that the Minister for Justice was aware about these cases for two years but failed to take action.

"Given the gravity of these claims and the urgent need for public confidence in the policing and justice system in this State, it is imperative that the Dáil discusses these matters."

Independent TD Mick Wallace has called on both the Garda Commissioner and Minister Shatter to resign.

He described the directive issued to Sgt McCabe to stop searching the garda computer system and disseminating data as a "gagging order".

Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Mr Wallace said: "I think if you read it fully, it's pretty obvious that this is a gagging order and not an invitation to come before an investigative body.

"The tone of it is very aggressive and it really amounts to bullying and intimidation."

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Ukraine's acting president worried by 'separatism'

Tuesday 25 February 2014 15.30

Ukraine's acting president has expressed concern about "signs of separatism" and threats to the country's territorial integrity.

Protesters in Crimea have staged rallies against Ukraine's new leaders since President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted.

A Russian-speaking mayor has been appointed in Sevastopol, where Russia's Black Sea fleet is based.

Acting President Oleksander Turchinov said anyone who is held responsible for separatist moves should be punished, his press service said in a statement.

Earlier, the Ukrainian parliament voted in favour of Mr Yanukovych being tried at the International Criminal Court for serious crimes.

A resolution said Mr Yanukovych and others caused the deaths of more than 100 people and the injury of 2,000.

The parliament said former Interior Minister Vitaly Zakharchenko and former Prosecutor-General Viktor Pshonka, who are being sought by the authorities, should also be sent for trial at the ICC. 

A spokesman for the ICC, which is based in the Hague, said it had not received a request from Ukraine's government tasking it to investigate events leading up to the ouster of Mr Yanukovych.
              
"A government can make a declaration accepting the court's jurisdiction for past events," said court spokesman Fadi ElAbdallah, adding that it would then be up to the court's prosecutor to decide whether or not to open an investigation. 

Leader of Batkyvschina party Arseniy Yatsenyuk described the previous government as "murderers".

"The previous authorities have destroyed the basis of justice and have built not even a mafia, but a gangster system, a system based on corruption and murderers," he told the parliament.

"For this there is only one way - the International Tribunal in the Hague. Right now we need to calm people to begin the rebuilding of the country."

Parliament has delayed forming a new unity government until Thursday with Mr Turchynov saying more time was needed for consultation.

Parliament had been due to form a new government today.

Mr Turchynov also said he will meet law enforcement agencies to discuss what he described as "dangerous signs of separatism" in some regions. 

Presidential elections are due to be held on 25 May.

Opposition leader Vitaly Klitschko has said that he will run for president in the elections.

Russia's foreign ministry has said a forced change of power was taking place.

It has accused interim leaders of passing new laws aimed at infringing the humanitarian rights of Russians and other ethnic minorities.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Ukraine must not be forced to choose between close ties with Russia or the West.

European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton has said that any new government in Ukraine must be "inclusive".

Ms Ashton said the EU understands the strong links between Ukraine and Russia.

She said she was in Ukraine to offer strong support to the country, help it stay strong and go forward in the way it chooses.

Ms Ashton arrived in Kiev yesterday to discuss measures to shore up Ukraine's ailing economy.

She held talks with a number of political leaders, who had earlier issued an arrest warrant for mass murder against Mr Yanukovych.

The finance ministry has said Ukraine needs urgent financial assistance to avoid default.

EU Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn said he supports a donors' conference for European countries to raise funding for Ukraine.

Ukraine has said it needs $35 billion to survive 2014 and2015.

"As the EU's resources lie predominantly in the member states, I would also support the idea of a donors' conference for Ukraine in order to allow for member states resources and other European countries to put together a substantial aid package for Ukraine," Mr Rehn said.

Elsewhere, British Foreign Secretary William Hague will join US Secretary of State John Kerry for talks on emergency support for Ukraine.

Mr Hague has warned that Ukraine faces imminent economic collapse without support from the international community.

The US has said it stands ready to plough in cash with other partners to stabilise the country.

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High winds and flooding hit coastal areas

Saturday 01 February 2014 15.31

A weather warning is in place as storm force winds continue to batter many coastal areas, with the highest wind of 122km/h recorded at Mace Head in Co Galway. 

Met Éireann has issued a status orange weather warning for Munster, Leinster, Connacht and parts of Ulster, with winds of up to 130km/h forecast.

Limerick has been among the areas worst hit by flooding.

Limerick City and County Council, the gardaí and the Health Service Executive are co-ordinating the response to the flood emergency.

People have been trapped in their homes in a number of housing estates.

In Lee housing estate boats have been used to rescue several elderly people. 

ESB Networks said around 4,000 homes and businesses are without power around the country.

There are outages in Cork, Limerick, Galway, Mayo and Monaghan caused by high winds and lightening in some areas.

Crews are working to restore power and the ESB has said it hopes the situation will be resolved this afternoon.

Around 20 houses in the Kilshannig area near Castlegregory in west Kerry have been cut off after high seas washed rocks, boulders and other debris onto the only access road for the area.

Kilshannig is located at the end of Maharee Sandspit and is particularly vulnerable to coastal flooding and erosion.    

High tide and storm force winds hit the west coast with extensive flooding in parts of Galway city and coastal areas this morning.

Worst affected areas include the promenade in Salthill, a section of which is closed until Monday, and the areas of Spanish Arch, Claddagh Quay and The Docks.

Emergency crews are assisting home owners and businesses in the worst affected areas.

Most roads in the city have reopened.

Galway City Council has a Flood Emergency Team in place with workers across all departments on call to provide assistance.

Floodgates and sandbags are stacked around homes and businesses in vulnerable areas.

Council officials have urged people to be extremely vigilant on exposed coasts.

The main street of Cahirciveen was closed this morning after part of the roof of a Chinese Restaurant was blown off in high winds.

Islands off Galway badly hit in storms

Islands off the Galway coast have sustained more structural damage after this morning's high tides.

Residents on Inisbofin have said that the island's eastern pier, which was damaged during storms earlier this month, has now been totally destroyed. 

Local Community Development Programme Manager Simon Murray said it is hard to quantify the scale of the problems.

He said there was particular concern after a section of the North Beach was washed away at around 6.30am.

The beach acted as a natural barrier between Boffin Lake and the Atlantic Ocean.

As a result of the surge earlier today, the lake has been flowing to the ocean and locals are concerned about flooding during this evening's tides.

Mr Murray said the impact of the damage to the beach could result in nearby roads being prone to flooding on a repeated basis.

He said no remedial works had been carried out since the storms at the beginning of January and this had compounded problems for islanders. 

There are similar problems on Inis Mór, where roads have been washed away.

Island Co-op manager Cathy Ní Ghoill said damage from earlier this month had been worsened by the high tides. 

While temporary repairs were conducted on a road to the island's oil and recycling depot in recent weeks, powerful seas this morning reversed any improvements.

Ms Ní Ghoill said the cost of repair work had at least doubled after today and stressed the need for immediate action to secure exposed roads and structures. 

Parts of Tralee in Co Kerry were flooded including Princes Street, Strand Road and the area around the Brandon Hotel, but floodwaters have now abated.

Flooding has also been reported in Blennerville, Lohercannon and Ballylongford, while the road between Kenmare and Castletownbeare is impassable.

The Ladies' Beach in Ballybunion has been further stripped of sand and water has entered the building used by Ballybunion Sea and Cliff Rescue.

Sleepers which were used to protect the coastline from erosion at the Mens' Beach have been washed away.

The Coast Guard is dealing with a number of incidents related to the stormy conditions.

There are at least three boats in difficulty off the south and west coasts, with two suffering serious wave damage to their wheelhouses.

Cargo boat the Cape Elise, with 21 people on board and carrying 170,000 tonnes of coal, has lost engine and steering power off Loop Head.

In Cork, flooding in the city centre has abated after the River Lee overflowed its banks shortly before high tide at 6.24am. 

County Council emergency crews remain on alert in the county because of the risk of coastal flooding.

A tidal flood alert remains in place until Sunday

16 Aer Lingus flights scheduled for this morning have been cancelled due to high winds.

The airline announced the cancellations last night, which included flights from Dublin to Manchester, Madrid, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Paris and Cardiff.

AA Roadwatch has warned of spot flooding and excess surface water on many roads and has urged drivers to take care.

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Kerry urges pressure on Syria over chemical arms

Saturday 01 February 2014 07.50

US Secretary of State John Kerry asked Russia's foreign minister to put pressure on the Syrian government to accelerate the removal of chemical weapons.

Mr Kerry met Russia's Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference to discuss what Washington considered to be "unacceptable" progress in moving Syrian chemical weapons.

A senior US State Department official said: "Secretary Kerry pressed Foreign Minister Lavrov to push the regime for more progress on moving the remaining chemical weapons within Syria to the port in Latakia."

Syria has reportedly given up less than 5% of its chemical weapons arsenal of roughly 1,300 tonnes of toxic agents and will miss next week's deadline to send all toxic agents abroad for destruction.

The State Department confirmed on Thursday that just 4% of Syria's deadliest chemical agents had been shipped out of the country for destruction at sea.

Under a deal agreed by Russia and the United States after a sarin gas attack last August which killed hundreds of people, Syria promised to give up its stockpile by mid-2014.

The operation, overseen by a joint mission with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the United Nations, is six to eight weeks behind schedule.

Failure to eliminate its chemical weapons could expose Syria to sanctions, although these would have to be supported in the UN Security Council by Russia and China, which have so far refused to back such measures against President Bashar al-Assad.

Parallel to Mr Kerry's meeting with Mr Lavrov, the White House said it was working with partners to step up pressure on the Assad government on the chemical weapons.

Russia earlier rejected US claims that Syria is dragging its feet on giving up chemical weapons, saying that a 30 June deadline to destroy President Assad's arsenal of toxic agents remains viable despite delays.

Syria, where civil war has killed more than 100,000 people and forced millions to flee, blames delays on security obstacles.

Mr Kerry and Mr Lavrov also met in Munich with UN chief Ban Ki-Moon and UN mediator Lakhdar Brahimi, who later told a panel on Syria at the conference that the first public talks between the Syrian government and opposition in Geneva this week had made "no progress."

"We have failed somewhere. We can say it is an intractable problem, it is difficult. But somewhere there is a failure," he said, adding that he hoped the talks would resume in Geneva on 10 February in a "more constructive" mood.   

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Ukraine army could move against protesters

Saturday 01 February 2014 11.01

Ukrainian opposition leader Arseniy Yatsenyuk has warned that the army could be used to crush protests against the country's president.

He told Germany's president and foreign minister and the EU's foreign affairs chief it was "very likely" that Ukrainian authorities would "resort to a use of force scenario" including with the involvement of the army.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State John Kerry said the US and the EU support the people of Ukraine as they seek a stronger democracy.

The people of Ukraine "are fighting for the right to associate with partners who will help them realise their aspirations", he said at the Munich Security Conference.

"They have decided that means their futures do not have to lie with one country alone, and certainly not coerced.

"The United States and EU stand with the people of Ukraine in that fight," he said.

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Gunfire, explosions heard near Bangkok rally

Saturday 01 February 2014 12.31

Six people have been injured by explosions and gunshots close to a standoff between supporters and opponents of Thailand's government in the Bangkok.

Anti-government protesters have marched in the capital on the final day of demonstrations denouncing Thailand's election.

Officials have complained that delivery of some ballot papers had been blocked ahead of tomorrow's poll.

The government is pushing ahead with the election, despite protesters' threats to disrupt the vote and stop Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's Puea Thai Party from returning to power.

Protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban has called for a peaceful blockade of roads, but at the same time has vowed not to stop people voting.

Any bloodshed would further undermine the credibility of a vote seen as incapable of restoring stability in the polarised country.

"The people will not close the polling booths, but will demonstrate on the roads. They will demonstrate calmly, peacefully, without violence ... We won't do anything that will hinder people from going to vote," Mr Suthep said last night.

Election Commission secretary-general Puchong Nutrawong said preparations were "almost 100% ready" in the north, northeast and central provinces, but that there were problems getting ballots to districts in Bangkok, as well as 12 provinces in the south, where demonstrators had blocked delivery.

The commission has instructed staff to halt voting if there is rioting or violence.

"We don't want this election to be bloody. We can get every single agency involved to make this election happen, but if there's blood, what's the point?" Mr Puchong said.

The military has stayed firmly on the sidelines so far, in contrast to the past - it has a history of having staged or attempted 18 coups in 81 years of on-off democracy.

The main opposition Democrat party, which backs the anti-government protests, is boycotting the election, which Ms Yingluck's party is bound to win, though without enough members to achieve a quorum in parliament, guaranteeing further stalemate, at best, even if the election passes off peacefully.

Many protesters in Bangkok wore red, the colour of Ms Yingluck's "red shirt" supporters, in today's march, after Mr Suthep said no one had the right to hijack a colour.

There were unconfirmed media reports of an explosive device being thrown near the Chinatown area, but there were no injuries.

Ten people have died and at least 577 have been wounded in politically related violence since late November.

The protesters, camped out at major intersections in the city and blocking key arteries, forced polling stations in 49 of Bangkok's 50 districts to shut last weekend and voting could only go ahead in three of 15 southern provinces.

Some voters were physically pulled away from the polling booths.

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14 dead as Indonesia volcano erupts

Saturday 01 February 2014 14.53

Fourteen people were killed after they were engulfed by scorching ash clouds from Indonesia's Mount Sinabung in its biggest eruption in recent days.

Eight people were found dead in Sukameriah village, near Mount Sinabung on the western island of Sumatra, four or whom were schoolchildren on a sightseeing trip to the volcano.

Six other bodies were recovered from the village later in the afternoon.

Photographers captured scenes of corpses covered in ash just yards from a fallen motorcycle as masked rescuers battled through the fumes to reach them.

Officials fear there could be more fatalities from the eruptions, but due to the high potential of lethal heat clouds spewing from the mountain, the search and rescue has been grounded.

Three other people, a father and son as well as another man, suffered from burn injuries.

Mount Sinabung had shown a reduction of activity since mid-January.

But it erupted again this morning, sending hot rocks and ash up to 2,000 metres into the air, blanketing the surrounding countryside with grey dust.

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Gilmore reassures women over maternity services

Saturday 01 February 2014 15.24

Tánaiste Eamonn Gilmore has sought to reassure women due to give birth following revelations in an RTÉ investigation into maternity care at the Midland regional Hospital, Portlaoise.

Mr Gilmore said that what had happened in Portlaoise should not have occurred.

He reiterated that Ireland is among the safest countries in the world to give birth.

Tánaiste Gilmore said that the Irish maternity service was very good and very safe. 

Mr Gilmore said the Chief Medical officer had been asked to report to the Minister for Health on what had happened in Portlaoise and on what steps now needed to be taken.

A spokesperson for the Tánaiste had said that parents of two babies who had died were still awaiting reports carried out into those deaths.  

The spokesperson said the Health Service Executive was "taking steps" to make the reports available to the parents.

Mr Gilmore also said the Government was satisfied there was sufficient capacity in the maternity services in Dublin following the closure of Mount Carmel Hospital.

A phone line has been set up at the Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise to deal with concerns arising from Thursday night's 'Fatal Failures' programme by RTÉ's Investigation Unit.

The documentary looked at the deaths of four babies over a six-year period at the hospital.

The helpline (057-8696076) will be open from 9am to 5pm and tomorrow.

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