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Arrest in Leeds in cocaine investigation

Written By Unknown on Senin, 29 September 2014 | 22.40

A 29-year-old man has been arrested by officers from the UK's National Crime Agency investigating the seizure of more than a tonne of cocaine off the coast of Cork last week.

The man, who was being sought by the agency, handed himself in at a police station in Leeds last night.

He is the third person to be arrested by officers from the National Crime Agency investigating the seizure.

Three people were charged in connection with the seizure at a special district court sitting in Cork on Friday night.

On Saturday, the 47-year-old son of one of those men was charged at Leeds Magistrates' Court with conspiring to import cocaine into the UK.

The man arrested last night will be questioned throughout the day.

Another man arrested in west Yorkshire last week has been released on bail pending further investigations.

The haul is believed to be one of the biggest drugs seizures at sea in Europe this year.

It was seized from an 18-metre yacht 200 nautical miles off Mizen Head in the early hours of last Tuesday.


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Protesters may face prison for contempt of court

Seven of nine protesters restrained by the High Court from interfering with workmen installing water meters in Dublin may face going to prison on Thursday for contempt of court.

Barrister Jim O'Callaghan SC, counsel for a meter installation contractor, told Mr Justice Max Barrett that unlawful protests were still taking place in breach of the court's injunctions.

Initially nine defendants had been named by GMC Sierra Ltd, which is installing the meters on behalf of Bord Gáis, in an application to restrain them from assaulting, intimidating or interfering with the workmen.

Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy granted an interim injunction after watching videos of protests and finding that apparent unlawful conduct had taken place.

He also restrained anyone with knowledge of the making of his order from assaulting, harassing, intimidating, endangering or otherwise unlawfully interfering with or obstructing the workers. 

Last week, solicitor for the defendants Conleth Pendrid had the injunction against his clients lifted on their giving an undertaking to Mr Justice Anthony Barr that they would desist from participating in unlawful protests.

Judge Barr allowed that part of the injunction restraining unlawful activities by anyone with knowledge of the order to remain in place.

John Berry, counsel for the named protesters, said there was some confusion as to their undertaking and they were not prepared to agree to restraining themselves from unlawfully interfering with or obstructing any person working on behalf of the plaintiff.

Mr O'Callaghan, who appeared with Ailionora McMahon for GMC Sierra, said that if the defendants were not prepared to stand by their undertaking to the court then Judge McCarthy's injunction should be reinstated.

Mr Berry said all of the defendants denied they had engaged in unlawful activities and questioned whether what they were doing was unlawful or unconstitutional.

He said they maintained they were entitled to conduct their protest by, for instance, peacefully standing on a water cock on a pavement that workmen had to get access to in order to install a meter.

Assaulting, harassing, intimidating or endangering someone were specific offences which, if committed, could be dealt with by gardaí thereby removing the necessity for an order directing every citizen to obey the law.

Mr Berry said the Water Services Act granted a water service authority the capacity to seek injunctive relief for failure to comply with the Act, very clearly limiting the ambit of that law to a water service authority, which the contractor engaged by Bord Gáis was not. It was a private company.

Judge Barrett said he would not impose any injunction on the defendants nor accept any undertaking from them but would put GMC Sierra's motion for attachment and committal to prison of seven of the nine defendants in the court list for hearing before the duty judge on Thursday.

Up to 30 supporters of the water meter protesters attended court today.


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Inquest hears of deficiencies in Kivlehan care

The former master of the National Maternity Hospital in Holles Street has told an inquest into the death of Dhara Kivlehan that there were deficiencies both in her clinical care and at a systemic level.

Dr Peter Boylan said the outcome might have been different if the patient's internal bleeding had been recognised and dealt with earlier.

However, Dr Boylan said it was debatable whether early intervention would have made a significant difference given the extremely complicated nature of her condition.

Ms Kivlehan died in Belfast in 2010 as a result of multi-organ failure, days after giving birth at Sligo General Hospital.

Dr Boylan was attending the final day of the inquest as an expert witness.

He said Ms Kivlehan had developed partial HELLP Syndrome - a severe strain of pre-eclampsia.

Her condition was complicated by acute liver and kidney dysfunction.

Dr Boylan said she remained seriously ill following the delivery of her baby by emergency Caesarean section.

He said blood loss does not appear to have been seriously considered as a complication of her surgery.

Dr Boylan said Ms Kivlehan presented a very difficult management problem, but he said her distended stomach was misinterpreted as fluid build-up linked to liver failure.

It appears, he said, nobody considered the likelihood of what he called intra-abdominal bleeding, particularly following her surgery.

This was most likely in a post-operative woman whose haemoglobin had dropped significantly.

Dr Boylan said had this problem been recognised and dealt with, and an earlier transfer organised to a specialist centre, then it is possible the outcome would have been different.

However, he said, this remains conjecture.

Ms Kivlehan was transferred by helicopter to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast. She died four days later.


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Inquiry told 20% of boys at NI home allege abuse

Northern Ireland's Historical Abuse Inquiry has been told that 20% of the 1,000 boys who were residents of De La Salle home in Co Down allege that they were physically or sexually abused.

The home opened in 1950 and closed in 1985 and its residents were mainly boys, aged between 11 and 16 from north or west Belfast.

The information about the percentage of allegations was given this morning by Joseph Aiken, junior counsel to the inquiry, in his opening remarks at the module dealing with the De La Salle home, Rubane House, in Kircubbin, Co Down.

Mr Aiken said allegations of physical or sexual abuse, or both, have been made against all five of the brothers who were in charge of the home up to 1980, but that the De La Salle Order is not in a position to accept the allegations against all of the said individuals.

He also referred to allegations against one Brother, now deceased, of sexual and physical abuse over a 20-year period.

Mr Aiken said the inquiry will hear accounts of abuse carried out by Father Brendan Smyth at Rubane House and at another home run by the Nazareth Order in Belfast.

To date, the inquiry has heard evidence about two homes run by the Nazareth Sisters in Co Derry and a child migration scheme that sent residents of Northern Ireland institutions to care homes in Australia.

The inquiry was set up by Northern Ireland's power-sharing administration at Stormont.

It is chaired by former High Court judge Anthony Hart.

Its remit is to investigate what took place at 13 residential children's homes run by religious orders, voluntary organisations and the state in the 73-year period up to 1995.

Recently, Banbridge Courthouse heard evidence about a child migrant scheme, which shipped residents of Northern Ireland care homes to institutions in Australia.

The system was operated by the UK and Australian governments.

Before that the inquiry heard the evidence of former residents, staff and nuns from two residential homes operated by the Nazareth Order in Derry.


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Girl dies in Cork farm accident

An eight-year-old girl died and an 11-year-old girl was critically injured in a farm accident in north Cork.

The dead girl has been named as Paula Dinsberga.

The incident happened just outside Newtownshandrum at around 6pm yesterday and involved farm machinery.

It is understood the girls were picking blackberries in a field at the time.

It is believed that the bucket on the front loader of a tractor may have come loose and snapped off when it braked to avoid one of the girls.

Paula Dinsberga was pronounced dead at the scene, while the second girl was taken to Cork University Hospital.

She is said to be in a stable condition.

The two children, who were not sisters, were understood to be staying with friends of their Latvian parents for the weekend when the incident occurred.

Paula's parents flew back to Dublin last night unaware of what had happened and were informed of the accident by gardaí when their plane landed.

The Dinsberga family have been living at Dooradoyle in Limerick for the past four years, and have three younger children.

A post-mortem examination is expected to be carried out today.


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Education minister to back McNulty for Seanad seat

Minister for Education Jan O'Sullivan has said she will be voting for John McNulty in the upcoming Seanad by-election.

The minister said that there were lessons to be learned from what she said had not been a well-run process.

Speaking on RTÉ's News at One, she said we needed to ensure that public appointment procedures were applied right across the board.

Ms O'Sullivan said she did not know Mr McNulty, but he did seem like somebody who had the qualifications necessary to be a good senator.

Fine Gael has been under pressure after Mr McNulty was appointed to the board of the Irish Museum of Modern Art.

The Opposition said the appointment was made to enhance his candidacy in the Seanad by-election campaign.

Mr McNulty resigned from the IMMA board last week.

However, a spokesperson for the returning officer in the Seanad by-election has confirmed that Mr McNulty's membership on the IMMA board is on the ballot paper.

The spokesperson said the official list of candidates for the by-election was completed last Monday. It was signed in the presence of a judge and that is what is printed on the ballot paper.

Elsewhere, the National Campaign for the Arts has called on its supporters to ask their local TDs and senators not to support Mr McNulty's campaign.

In a statement on its Facebook page, the volunteer-led group said the McNulty appointment to the IMMA board flies in the face of any transparency regarding arts decision-making.

Meanwhile, Tánaiste Joan Burton said she spoke to Taoiseach Enda Kenny at length this morning about the issue of the appointment of people to State boards.

She said she would like to see positions advertised and that Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin will be bringing a memo to Cabinet on this issue.

Ms Burton said it was standard practice for all parties to nominate replacements to the Seanad and she does not see this changing.

She said: "These bodies account for a very significant proportion of activity in Ireland.

"They employ huge numbers of people and they're absolutely critical to the whole economic well-being, and indeed in the case of the cultural institutions, to the cultural well-being of the country."

Mr Kenny said on Friday that he took full responsibility for the controversy.


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Two arrested after Galway stabbing incident

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 28 September 2014 | 22.40

Two men have been arrested in connection with a stabbing incident in Galway early yesterday.

Gardaí say an 18-year-old man remains in a serious condition at Galway University Hospital, after suffering stab wounds in the attack.

It happened in a laneway beside Knocknacarra Church in Salthill at around 3am yesterday.

However, the attack was not reported to gardaí until yesterday evening.

The men, aged 18 and 16, are being questioned at Mill Street Garda Station.


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Craughwell seeks legal advice over Seanad election

Independent Seanad by-election candidate Gerard Craughwell will meet legal advisers tomorrow afternoon, to decide on his next steps, as the controversy over the selection of Fine Gael candidate John McNulty continues.

He said: "I am not going away. I don't want to bring the Government and the judiciary into open battle.

"I think the Upper House has been severely tarnished by what has gone on and I don't want to do anything that will further damage the Upper House.

"The people decided that they want to keep the Seanad and it is not a play thing for any Taoiseach or any government," he said.

Mr Craughwell had asked the clerk of the Seanad to remove Mr McNulty's name from the ballot paper as he believed he did not have the necessary qualifications.

He also re-submitted his original complaint that a committee should look at his qualifications.

However, Mr Craughwell withdrew that complaint after hearing that Mr McNulty was a member of the board of the Irish Museum of Modern Art.

However, he said he did not realise at the time he had been recently appointed.

Meanwhile, Sinn Féin Deputy Leader, Mary Lou McDonald, has said that Taoiseach Enda Kenny has questions to answer about the appointment of Mr McNulty to the board of IMMA - days before Fine Gael nominated him in the Seanad by-election.

Speaking on RTÉ radio's This Week programme, Ms McDonald said Mr Kenny needed to state whether or not he directed or encouraged the Minister for Arts, Heather Humphries, to appoint Mr McNulty to the IMMA board.

Speaking on the same programme, the Reform Alliance TD and a former Fine Gael member, Lucinda Creighton, said the suggestion that the appointment and nomination were not linked showed that the Government was treating the Irish people like fools.

She also said that Ms Humphries has failed to answer questions on how Mr McNulty came to her attention as a potential appointee.


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Hogan knew of €40m Irish Water allocation in 2012

Former Environment Minister Phil Hogan was informed as far back as December 2012 that Irish Water had allocated a sum of more than €40m out of which consultants, among others, would be paid.

According to a document obtained by RTÉ's This Week programme, Mr Hogan signed and approved of the document on 10 December 2012.

That is more than a year before the controversy broke over the spending of tens of millions of euro on consultancy services during the new water utility's set-up.

Mr Hogan said he did not know that €50m had been spent on consultants when the controversy broke in January of this year.

He expressed concern at the level of spending at the time.

The December 2012 document, which was marked as "confidential", was written by a senior official at Mr Hogan's department and it was brought directly to his attention.

It included an assessment of progress being made,in late 2012, on the set up of Irish Water, and the Government's broader water reform programme.

It make reference to the provision at that time of a sum of €43.5m, out of which Mr Hogan was told that "external consultants" as well as other seconded staff from Bord Gáis and local authorities were set to benefit.

It said the bulk of this cost would be spent on "new systems" including billing and call centre systems, which were essential to get the new utility up and running and ready to charge customers for water.

Mr Hogan did not respond to queries from RTÉ on the document.

It follows a report by RTÉ three weeks ago, which also showed that Mr Hogan signed off on a summary breakdown of Irish Water's €180m spending plans in October 2013, three months before the controversy over the utility's consultancy spend erupted.

Unlike the confidential memo from December 2012, the October 2013 document did not make specific reference to consultants, but it did list the multi-million euro allocations earmarked for new IT and other systems, all of which Irish Water insisted has been understood to include a significant consultant spend.


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Police use tear gas on Hong Kong protesters

Hong Kong police have fired tear gas at pro-democracy campaigners who massed on major city centre highways in their tens of thousands.

There were chaotic scenes, with protesters shouting as they tried to run away from the clouds of gas, the reporter said.

The use of tear gas is extremely rare in Hong Kong.

Central Hong Kong has descended into chaos as chanting pro-democracy protesters converged on police barricades surrounding their colleagues despite the territory's leader calling for a halt to "illegal" demonstrations.

Chanting "remove the blockade", thousands of protesters blocked one of the busiest streets, Gloucester Road, and milled among the stalled traffic.

Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying pledged "resolute" action against a movement known as Occupy Central with Love and Peace.

Inside the cordon, thousands huddled in plastic capes, masks and goggles, a defence against any further use of pepper spray, as they waited for a fresh police charge to clear the area before Hong Kong, a global financial centre, opens for business on Monday morning.

Hundreds of police, donning helmets, cordoned off streets and walkways in Admiralty district, next to the Central business district, after tension flared amid the arrests of several lawmakers and the seizure of audio equipment.

Police commissioner Andy Tsang Wai-hung declined to say when police would move to clear the area.

"We only use force when it is necessary," he said.

While police were urging demonstrators to leave the zone, officers were threatening to arrest anyone trying to force their way in.

Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule in 1997 under a formula known as "one country, two systems" that guaranteed a high degree of autonomy and freedoms not enjoyed in mainland China. Universal suffrage was set as an eventual goal.

But Beijing last month rejected demands for people to freely choose the city's next leader, prompting threats from activists to shut down Central.

China wants to limit elections to a handful of candidates loyal to Beijing.

While promising a fresh round of public consultation, Leung also described Beijing's decision as "legally binding".

Publishing tycoon Jimmy Lai, a key backer of the democratic movement, said he wanted as big a crowd of protesters as possible, after a week of student demonstrations, to thwart any crackdown.

"The more Hong Kong citizens come, the more unlikely the police can clear up the place," said Lai, also wearing a plastic cape and workmen's protective glasses. "I believe more Hong Kong citizens will show up later on Sunday."

Some have trained for months in non-violent resistance, determined to make it as hard as possible for police to move them - their actions mirrored by police who have also stepped up anti-riot training and other tactics.

"I stay because I want to support the students," said one protester, surnamed Mak, as she huddled under a raincoat waiting for the police to charge. "It is worth to do it."

Jacky Wong, a 55-year-old former high school teacher, said he was protesting to support the students. "In my day, we had everything, house, car, wife, children...this generation has nothing."

Communist Party leaders in Beijing are terrified of calls for democracy spreading to cities on the mainland, threatening their grip on power.

Dissent as seen in Hong Kong would never be allowed on the mainland, where student protests calling for democracy were crushed with heavy loss of life on and around Beijing's Tiananmen Square on 4 June 1989.

Pro-democracy Hong Kong lawmaker Lee Cheuk-yan said three fellow legislators were among a small group of activists detained by police, including democratic leaders Albert Ho and Emily Lau.

Some family groups were among the crowd, while one man in his 90s said he been fighting for democracy since the 1960s.

Veteran democracy campaigner Martin Lee said Hong Kong people believed democracy was good for the city and the rest of China.

"They are prepared to sacrifice the comfort of freedom for the sake of themselves, their children and their children's children," he said.


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Fresh NI peace talks to take place

The Irish and British Governments are to become involved in a new round of talks with Northern Ireland's political parties to address the problems in the peace process.

The initiative was confirmed in a statement from the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charlie Flanagan.

In the statement issued in New York, Mr Flanagan said: "I am strongly of the view that all-party talks involving the two Governments are required to overcome the current political impasse with the Northern Ireland Executive."

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Teresa Villiers MP, today confirmed that the British and Irish governments will become involved in Northern Ireland peace talks.

Speaking at the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham this afternoon, she said: "My realistic assessment is that the time is now right for a new round of cross-party talks to be convened …  to seek a way forward on the outstanding issues."

She also said: "Working together we can do all we can to lift the blockages which are now preventing the devolved Executive from delivering the efficient and effective government that the people of Northern Ireland want and which they deserve."

Ms Villiers told delegates at the Conservative Party conference: "In the coming days I will be engaging with the five main parties and the Irish Government to discuss in more detail the precise format and agenda."

For several months the parties in the power-sharing executive at Stormont have struggled to find agreement on a range of issues.

These include the allocation of its reduced funding from Westminster and the problems that remained unresolved after negotiations chaired by Richard Haass last year.

Recently the DUP Leader and First Minister at Stormont, Peter Robinson, said the system of government was "not fit for purpose". 

Leading members of Sinn Féin and the SDLP were among those who called on the Irish and British Governments, with the support of the US administration to become more involved in addressing the growing crisis.

There is no reference of an agenda, venue or timetable included in Mr Flanagan's statement.

However, according to RTÉ's Northern Editor Tommie Gorman, talks may get under way in October, and the two Governments will be keen to conclude the process before the end of the year. 
 


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HSE orders review into 'Miss Y' legal action

The Director General of the HSE, Tony O'Brien, has asked for a review into the legal approach taken in relation to Miss Y.

The Department of Health has confirmed it raised concerns with the HSE over the approach its legal team was taking before a second court action was called off.

This action was in relation to getting an order to allow a termination to be carried out under the Protection of Life in Pregnancy Act.

In a statement today, the HSE said when senior management became aware of the matter they directed that no further court proceedings were required, and the termination could be carried out.

Previously a court order had been obtained to allow Miss Y to be hydrated but the second legal action was unrelated.

The Department of Health says it became aware of the course of action being followed by the HSE legal team at a very late stage.

In a statement it said: "the Department was very concerned at the approach the HSE legal team was taking and following discussions between the department and the HSE leadership, the HSE legal team decided not to pursue its planned approach."

In today's statement the HSE said the circumstances of Miss Y's case were significantly complex and gave rise to particular issues, which had to be considered carefully by those involved, who had a duty to ensure they were acting lawfully.

The statement said those directly involved in Miss Y's case had to make decisions "in real time - in what was very complex circumstances".

It said the Department of Health had been central to drafting the legislation and was aware of how it might operate.

Mr O'Brien has retained senior counsel to review whether the legal approach that was taken was reasonable and "to identify any learnings thereof".

This is separate to a review being carried out by a four person panel into what happened to Ms Y in the run up to the caesarean section being carried out.

The legal actions taken by the HSE do not come under the Review Team's terms of reference, which has led to Mr O'Brien asking a senior counsel to carry out a separate review. 


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Catalan leader calls independence referendum

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 27 September 2014 | 22.41

The president of Spain's Catalonia region, Artur Mas, has signed a decree calling an independence referendum on 9  November, a vote the central government has said would violate the constitution and has promised to block.

The wealthy north-eastern region, which accounts for around a fifth of Spain's economy, has its own language and distinct culture and has long fought for self-rule.

A large majority of Catalans want to hold a referendum on independence, polls show.

The region's president, Artur Mas, signed the decree in a solemn ceremony in the Catalan government offices in Barcelona - the gothic Generalitat Palace - surrounded by his government and political allies in his campaign for independence.

"Catalonia wants to speak. Wants to be heard. Wants to vote. Now is the right time and we have the right legal framework to do so," Mas said in a speech in Catalan, Spanish and English immediately after the signing ceremony.

Madrid has vowed to block a referendum.

Yesterday, Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria said the cabinet would meet on Monday to formalise the appeal against the vote.

The objection would then be handed to the Constitutional Court, suspending the vote until a final ruling on its legality, which could take years.

Spain's central government says a Catalan independence referendum would violate the country's 1978 constitution, drawn up on Spain's transition to democracy.

Political analysts expect the Catalan leader to call early elections after Madrid blocks the vote.

He would then use the elections as a way to give Catalans a chance to vote on independence from Spain.

Mas is under pressure from separatist coalition partners to go ahead with a referendum even if it is declared illegal, although he has himself said he would not do anything that is against the law.

Madrid's refusal to allow a vote has angered many Catalans, even those who favour continued union with Spain. Hundreds of thousands of people marched in the streets of Barcelona earlier this month for the right to hold a referendum.


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22-month-old boy dies in Donegal accident

A 22-month-old boy has died after he was struck by a van in Letterkenny in Co Donegal.

It happened in the driveway of his home in Creeve Glebe, at around a 7.45pm yesterday.

Gardaí are treating the death as a tragic accident.

A post mortem examination is due to be carried out at Letterkenny General Hospital this morning. 


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Efforts to identify Mayo body after crash

Gardaí are trying to establish the identity of a person who died in a single-vehicle collision in Co Mayo.

Shortly before 1.30am, emergency services encountered a car off the road at Cartoon near Newport engulfed in flames.

The fire was extinguished and a body was discovered in the car. It is not known at this stage if the body is that of a man or woman.

The area is sealed off and Garda forensic collision investigators will carry out an examination of the area.

Meanwhile, a man died after he was hit by a truck in Limerick.

The 27-year-old man was walking along the hard shoulder of the road and was struck by a truck on the Ennis road. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the truck was not injured.


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Man appears in court over multiple burglaries

A 26-year-old man has appeared in court charged with multiple burglaries in east Clare.

Michael Sheehan of 44 Cliona Park, Moyross, Co Limerick was charged with committing a series of burglaries on 25 September 2014.

The burglaries took place in Aherina, Kilmore, and later in Doonass, Clonlara.

Detective Ronan O' Reilly of Mayorstone Garda Station said the accused man replied "sorry" to both charges when they were put to him under caution.

Solicitor John Devane was in court to represent Mr Sheehan who is currently in receipt of legal aid.

The court heard the accused man was reserving his position on bail until his next court appearance.

Judge Aeneas McCarthy remanded him in custody to appear at Limerick District court on 30 September.


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Crowds march in favour of 8th Amendment repeal

Crowds of people have turned out in Dublin to take part in a march in favour of changing Ireland's laws on abortion.

The event was organised by a group called the 'Abortion Rights Campaign' who are calling on the Government to repeal the 8th Amendment of the Constitution and legalise abortion in Ireland.

Socialist Party TD Ruth Coppinger has introduced a Private Member's Bill and called for a referendum to repeal the 8th amendment.

A spokesperson for the Government said that the Government went through a very open and extensive process in relation to the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Legislation - a matter he said had not been dealt with by successive governments.

He said the matter will not be dealt with in the lifetime of this Government 

Commenting on today's march spokesperson for the Pro-Life Campaign Dr Ruth Cullen said:

"The focus of the debate at present is almost exclusively on more access to abortion.

"The hardened denial on the part of abortion advocates regarding the hurt and heartbreak of abortion for many women has to be challenged."


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Humphreys ignores McNulty nomination questions

Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Heather Humphreys has ignored questions from the media over the the nomination of John McNulty for the Seanad.

She was attending an event at the National Gallery of Ireland.

Yesterday, Taoiseach Enda Kenny said he took full responsibility and the blame for the controversy

Mr Kenny said what happened was of his own making but would never happen again.

He said he regretted his decision and Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Heather Humphreys was not in any way to blame for what had happened.

Responding to Mr Kenny's comments, Fianna Fáil Leader Micheál Martin said his statement led to "a number of questions, the most obvious of which is, what exactly is he apologising for?

"Is the Taoiseach now admitting that he instructed Minister Heather Humphreys to appoint Mr McNulty in support of his Seanad candidacy?" Mr Martin asked.

"This goes to the heart of the scandal and requires a full statement in Dáil Éireann from the Taoiseach outlining the entire sequence of events from the beginning to the end of this shabby affair."

Mr Martin also called on Mr Kenny to apologise to the board of IMMA and the membership and staff of Seanad Éireann.


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Fatal fire in Bray being treated as arson

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 26 September 2014 | 22.40

A house fire in Bray, Co Wicklow, in which a 55-year-old man died is being treated as arson by gardaí.

The fire on Oldcourt Avenue broke out at about 4.30am.

David Costigan was taken from the house by Wicklow Fire Service and CPR was administered, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Mr Costigan was wheelchair-bound and a father of five adult children.

He had lived in Oldcourt Avenue in Bray for a number of years.

His body was brought to St Columcille's Hospital in Loughlinstown this morning for a post-mortem examination.

A man in his 20s was in the house at the time of the blaze but was not injured.

Three units of Wicklow Fire Service attended the scene.

The scene has been sealed-off for a technical examination. The office of the State Pathologist has been notified.

Gardaí believe the fire at the house was started maliciously.

They are investigating whether petrol or some other type of accelerant was thrown against the front door of the house or pushed through the door, resulting in a blaze that spread quickly.

Gardaí in Bray are appealing for witnesses or anyone who may have seen any suspicious behaviour in the vicinity of Oldcourt Avenue area before 4.30am to contact them on 01-6665300, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800-666-111 or any garda station.

Separately, fire fighters in Dublin dealt with a fire at a house in Swords.

The blaze broke out at 12.15am at Holywell.

Two adults and two children were in the house at the time.

It is understood they are all being treated in hospital.


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GSOC investigates Clare road crash

A man in his 70s has had a leg amputated after he sustained serious injuries in a road crash in Co Clare yesterday evening. 

The man was one of three people injured when a car being pursued by gardaí veered off the road and struck a number of parked cars in Parteen shortly after 5pm.

One of the men was pinned between two cars. The other two sustained minor injuries.

All three men were taken to University Hospital Limerick, where the 79-year-old man underwent surgery last night.

One of the suspects was arrested in woodland close to Parteen last night.

He was detained overnight and will be questioned today.

A search for another man, who fled the scene on foot, is ongoing.

Given the involvement of gardaí in the events leading to last night's collision, an investigation by the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission is under way.

GSOC investigators travelled to Parteen last night and interviewed a number of people.

The ombudsman is seeking witnesses to the pursuit and subsequent collision.

Anyone with information is asked to contact GSOC at 1890-600-800.


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Noonan confident McNulty row will pass

Minister for Finance Michael Noonan has sought to play down the controversy surrounding the appointment of Fine Gael's John McNulty to the board of the Irish Museum of Modern Art.

Speaking in Limerick, Mr Noonan said Fine Gael is a very big party across both the Dáil and Seanad and that there were bound to be differences of opinion on matters.

He said he has never been at a parliamentary party meeting in which differences of opinion were not expressed, but he believed it would be sorted out in due course.

Minister Noonan said controversy is in the nature of politics but that the important thing is to work through it as honestly as possible and to keep the party moving in the same direction.

Mr McNulty announced his resignation from the IMMA board yesterday following a wave of criticism in relation to the appointment.

Speaking earlier on RTÉ's Today with Sean O'Rourke, Fine Gael TD Sean Conlan said there was a fear within the party that Taoiseach Enda Kenny is returning to the "days of stroke politics" and "the days of Charlie Haughey".

The Cavan Monaghan TD said the vast majority of Fine Gael TDs want to see reform in Irish politics.

He said they want the Irish public to know they do not agree with how Mr McNulty's appointment to the board of IMMA has been handled.

Mr Conlan said the decision of Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Heather Humphreys to place Mr McNulty on the IMMA board was a mistake and it should not have happened.

He said it damages the image of Fine Gael both nationally and locally.

He said he agreed with comments made by Fine Gael TD John Deasy yesterday that the appointment process regarding Mr McNulty's nomination to the Seanad had clearly been manipulated and abused.

Mr Conlan also said Fine Gael TDs did have a fear of speaking out and this needed to end.

He said the appointment process should be transparent and he believed Mr McNulty had been damaged by the way he was appointed to the board.

Mr Conlan said the appointment process is flawed and both the minister's and the Taoiseach's actions had damaged Fine Gael.

He said Minister Humphreys should say whether she knew Mr McNulty was to become the party's preferred candidate for the Seanad when she appointed him to the board of IMMA.

Mr Conlan said: "We all need to know the answer to that question.

"Is it a coincidence that he's appointed to the board and then suddenly he's the Taoiseach's preferred candidate to the Seanad?

"It stretches credulity to believe she didn't know what she was doing when she appointed him to the board.

"And I mean the general public are not stupid. The general public can see what's going on here."

However, Fine Gael TD for Mayo Michelle Mulherin has defended the appointment of Mr McNulty to the board of IMMA.

Ms Mulherin, speaking on RTÉ's News At One, also defended the Taoiseach on his appointment of women to the Seanad..

"The Taoiseach has to decide, at any given time, who is the best person.

"Gender is a consideration, there are other considerations, the ultimate adjudicator on that is the Taoiseach, but suddenly the Taoiseach's ability to decide who is the best candidate and where they should be is called into question, when all his nominees - who are independent, excellent senators - nobody has called into question his judgement in relation to them, why now?"

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has accused Mr Kenny and the Government of fundamentally undermining the Seanad.

Fianna Fáil has said the appointment was made to help the candidacy of the Donegal businessman in the forthcoming Seanad by-election.

Sinn Féin's Vice-President Mary Lou McDonald echoed Mr Conlan's comments, saying the prudent and honourable thing to do would be for Mr McNulty to withdraw from the election.

Ms McDonald called on the Taoiseach and Minister Humphreys to give a full account in the Dáil of how Mr McNulty came to be appointed to the board of IMMA. 

She also said her party had been told it was not possible within the rules to re-run the Seanad by-election.


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Cameron lays out case for air strikes against IS

British Prime Minister David Cameron has set out the case for air strikes against Islamic State militants after recalling parliament for an emergency debate about taking on the extremists' "network of death".

Mr Cameron said there was "no more serious an issue" than deciding whether to commit British forces to the international effort to tackle IS and acknowledged the military effort would last "not just months, but years".

MPs will vote on whether to back the Royal Air Force joining the US-led bombing campaign, but British air strikes would be limited to Iraq rather than IS strongholds in Syria.

Opening the debate in the Commons, Mr Cameron said the question before the House today was how to keep the British people safe from the threat posed by IS.

In particular, he said, it was "what role our armed forces should play in the international coalition to dismantle and ultimately destroy what President Obama has rightly called this network of death".

He added: "There is no more serious an issue than asking our armed forces to put themselves in harm's way to protect our country.

"This is not a threat on the far side of the world.

"Left unchecked, we will face a terrorist caliphate on the shores of the Mediterranean, bordering a Nato member, with a declared and proven determination to attack our country and our people.

"This is not the stuff of fantasy - it is happening in front of us and we need to face up to it."

Mr Cameron said there was "a strong case for us to do more in Syria", but recognised that it would require more work to secure parliamentary approval of extending British involvement to that country.

He said the military action would come as part of a "clear comprehensive plan", which included "tough, uncompromising" measures at home to prevent attacks.

These included previously-announced new powers to seize passports, strip British nationality from dual nationals and ensure airlines comply with no-fly orders.

"In all of this, we are being clear about the cause of the terrorist threat we face," said the prime minister.

Labour veteran Dennis Skinner intervened to ask Mr Cameron: "How long will this war last and when will mission creep start?"

Mr Cameron replied: "This is going to be a mission that will take not just months but years, but I believe we have to be prepared for that commitment.

"The reason for that is, I think, quite rightly America, Britain and others are not contemplating putting combat troops on the ground.

"There will be troops on the ground but they will be Iraqi troops, they will be Kurdish troops, and we should be supporting them in all the ways that I will describe."

The three main political parties in the UK all back taking action and Labour leader Ed Miliband outlined his support for the plans.

Mr Miliband said: "The prime minister had said it has ambitions for a state of its own, a caliphate across the Middle Eat run according to their horrific norms and values.

"That's why I believe ... we cannot simply stand by against the threat of Isil [also known as IS]."

Meanwhile, the Danish government has said it will send seven F-16 fighter jets to Iraq as part of the US-led coalition.

Turkey changes stance on intervention

Elsewhere, Turkey has changed its stance on its involvement in the campaign against IS militants following the release of Turkish hostages held in Iraq, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said today.

Turkey has frustrated the West with its distinctly low-key role in the campaign against IS jihadists for months, but has insisted its hands were tied by concerns over the fate of the hostages.

"Now the position has changed. What follows will be much different," Mr Erdogan told reporters after flying back to Istanbul from a trip to the United States where he met US Vice President Joe Biden.

He said that "necessary steps" would be taken by parliament on 2 October, without specifying the exact nature of these measures.

Parliament is due to convene on that date to consider extending the scope of two existing mandates allowing the government to take military action in Syria and Iraq.

In a clear indication that Turkey would take a stronger role, Mr Erdogan said Turkey had a responsibility not to be a "bystander" as the US leads the campaign against IS.

"We, as Muslims, should do our best. If the Christian world takes such a step on an issue that hurts the conscience of humanity we will not remain a bystander."

"Our religion Islam is a religion of peace, brotherhood and unity. Our religion does not allow the killing of innocent people," he said, acknowledging that the actions of IS were "casting a shadow" on Islam.

Air strikes in eastern Syria

Air strikes thought to have been carried out by US-led forces hit bases and positions held by the Islamic State group in the eastern Syrian province of Deir al-Zor today, a monitoring group said.

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the strikes hit territory on the outskirts of the city of al-Mayadin controlled by IS militants.

The latest air strikes hit two provinces of Syria overnight, targeting oil facilities for a second day.

The observatory subsequently reported additional strikes this morning on a command centre of the IS group on the outskirts of the town of Al-Mayadin.

The target of the strikes in Hasakeh was not immediately clear, the group's director Rami Abdel Rahman said.

There were no immediate details of any casualties from the strikes.

They came on a fourth night of bombing by the coalition the US has assembled to tackle the jihadist group in Iraq and Syria.

The strikes are said to have killed at least 140 jihadists and 13 civilians so far, according to the observatory, though the US has yet to acknowledge any civilian casualties. 

Raids overnight between Wednesday and yesterday also targeted some of the makeshift oil refineries operated by IS and others in Deir Ezzor and Hasakeh.

Black market sales of illegally extracted Syrian and Iraqi oil are believed to account for a large part of the Islamic State group's funding.

Experts said the group could be earning between $1m and $3m a day from oil sales alone.


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Boat seized in Wales in €80m cocaine investigation

A motor boat has been seized in north Wales as part of an investigation into a massive cocaine seizure off the southwest coast of Ireland earlier this week.

The seven-metre Sea Breeze is believed to be the vessel that was due to rendezvous with the drugs yacht Makayabella.

More than a tonne of cocaine was seized on the Makayabella off the southwest coast of Ireland on Tuesday morning.

The haul, estimated to be worth between €70m and €80m, is believed to be one of the biggest drugs seizures at sea in Europe this year.

The Makayabella was 200 miles off Mizen Head when the seizure was made earlier this week.

The boat seized at a marina in Pwllheli in north Wales today is being forensically examined.

Officers from the National Crime Agency are also questioning a 47-year-old man.

He was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to import a Class A drug into the UK.

The man is related to one of the suspects being questioned by gardaí.

Three men, aged 70, 35 and 28, believed to be from west Yorkshire in England were arrested on board the Makayabella on Tuesday.

Dozens of bales of cocaine are believed to have been concealed on board the yacht.


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Call for AG to order inquests for Tuam babies

There has been a call for the Attorney General to order inquests to be carried out into the deaths of children who died at the Mother and Baby in Tuam, Co. Galway.

This would necessitate excavations to be carried out at a site, where it's thought babies who died in the Tuam home were buried.

A solicitor, who is assisting a number of women and children who stayed there, contends there is legal argument and overwhelming evidence to see if remains can be exhumed and inquests held.

Kevin Higgins cites a provision in the 1962 Coroner's Act, allowing the AG to order a coroner to hold an inquest - Section 24 of the Act states that if the AG has reason to believe a person died in circumstances which may warrant the holding of an inquest, then she can direct any coroner to conduct such an inquiry.

Mr Higgins told RTÉ's Liveline this afternoon that it was almost inevitable that exhumations would have to take place.

He said the issues surrounding the deaths of children in Mother and Baby homes had to be confronted.

He said the number of deaths recorded at the Tuam home over a period of over more than 30 years was "off the scale" compared to the rate of children deaths elsewhere at the same time. 

He is also concerned that despite official figures relating to death rates, there are no burial records for the vast majority of children that died in the Tuam home. 

Mr Higgins said he understood the AG was considering the matter at present, adding it was his view that if she did not exercise her prerogative under the Act, then there may be a legal challenge seeking to compel her to order inquests.

The Office of the Attorney General does not comment on its deliberations.


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Cruise liner rescues 300 migrants off Cyprus

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 25 September 2014 | 22.40

A cruise liner returning from Greece has rescued about 300 people from rough seas off Cyprus.

Those rescued are thought to be Syrian refugees whose trawler had run into trouble.

The refugees, mostly women and children, were loaded aboard the Salamis Filoxenia cruise liner and were in "good health", according to George Ppouro, the harbour master in the Cypriot port of Limassol.

The vessel is expected to dock this evening in Limassol, where the interior ministry said the migrants would be given health checks.

The liner had been en route from the Greek island of Syros to Limassol when it received a call to assist in the rescue operation.

The trawler sent out a distress signal at 6.25am local time when it was about 50 miles southwest of the tourist hub of Paphos, the Cypriot government said.

"On board the ship are about 300 people that require recovery and rescue because of bad weather conditions in the area," the defence ministry said after the operation was launched.

The Mediterranean has been plagued by shipwrecks in recent months involving migrants trying to reach Europe from Africa and the Middle East.

In one of the deadliest wrecks on record, a ship carrying about 500 migrants, including Syrians, Palestinians and Egyptians, was deliberately sunk by traffickers off Malta earlier this month, leaving just ten known survivors.


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Three held hostage in Dublin post office raid

A search is under way for two men following a kidnapping at a post office in Dublin overnight.

Three armed and masked men forced their way into a home in Malahide and took three women hostage.

They then forced an employee of the post office at Bayside to hand over a substantial amount of cash this morning.

The raiders left the post office in a dark coloured car.

Members of the Emergency Response Unit, assisted by other garda units, intercepted the car on Malahide Road.

One man in his early 20s was arrested at the scene and an amount of cash was recovered from the car.

A number of shots were discharged by gardaí at the scene. 

The three women held hostage were not injured in the incident. 

Gardaí are searching for two men in their 40s and 50s who fled the scene.

Sections of the Malahide Road around Malahide Castle have been closed off by gardaí involved in the search for the men.

One of the men is described as having grey white hair, being of chubby build, and 1.78m (5'10'') in height. He was wearing dark leggings.

The other is described as having a chubby build, dark grey hair and was wearing blue runners with a green stripe.

Both men spoke with Dublin accents.

An incident room has been set up at Coolock Garda Station.

Anyone with information is asked to contact gardaí on 01-6664200, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800-666-111 or any garda station.

The man in his 20s who was arrested at the scene is being detained at Coolock Garda Station.


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GSOC chairman has 'no intention of resigning'

Chairman of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Simon O'Brien has said the gardaí and the public can have confidence in his agency.

It follows the part-publication of a report into the leaking of information to a newspaper about an internal investigation into the suspected surveillance of its offices.

GSOC has said the report by Senior Counsel Mark Connaughton concluded that it was unable to confirm the exact source of the leak.

However, it said that it came from a third party attached to the investigation.

Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Mr O'Brien said he had no intention of resigning and that lessons had been learnt.

He said: "We learn from what went on in the past and by the learning from the past you build for the future.

"We want a public and gardaí alike to have confidence in the service we provide. It's an impartial service.

"It is an important service and I believe that we hold data, we're secure with that data and we want to give confidence to people to come forward."

In May, Mr Connaughton was asked by GSOC to carry out a fact-finding investigation into how information relating to the sweep may have been disclosed to a third party.

The investigation relates to a Sunday Times article, 'GSOC under hi-tech surveillance', which was published on 9 February.


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Murder investigation after Balbriggan shooting

Gardaí have begun a murder investigation following the shooting dead of a man in Balbriggan, Co Dublin this morning.

The man, who was in his 30s, was shot dead in his car on Clonard Street just after 9am.

His partner was shot in the leg and is being treated in hospital.

The couple had just dropped a child or children off at a nearby school, when their car was approached by a lone gunman, who fired several shots at them.

The gunman, who wore a balaclava, escaped in a dark Ford Focus car, which was later found burned out in the Naul in Co Dublin.

The scene has been preserved for a technical examination.

The State Pathologist's office has been informed.

Gardaí have appealed for witnesses to contact them in Balbriggan on 01-8020510.


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Massive cocaine seizure a 'textbook' operation

The Naval Service has said the massive cocaine seizure off the southwest coast this week was a complicated operation and was put together at very short notice.

A forensic examination of the 18-metre yacht on which a tonne of cocaine was recovered is under way in Cork.

The haul, estimated to be worth between €70m and €80m, is believed to be one of the biggest drugs seizures at sea in Europe this year.

The Makayabella remains under armed guard after being escorted by LÉ Róisín to Haulbowline in Cork Harbour last night.

Speaking at a news conference in Haulbowline today, Captain David Barry stressed the multi-agency operation was "textbook" and "delivered on behalf of Ireland".

Assistant Garda Commissioner John O'Mahony said it will be some weeks before the purity of the drug is confirmed but it is cocaine.

He said the sharing of intelligence was critical to the success of the operation.

Three men aged 70, 35 and 28, believed to be from west Yorkshire in England, were arrested on board the yacht.

They are being held at the Bridewell Garda Station in Cork and can be held for up to seven days.

A 43-year-old man was arrested in west Yorkshire in England in a follow-up operation.

He has since been released on bail pending further investigation.

The National Crime Agency in the UK is searching for two other suspects in connection with the seizure.

Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Commander Eric Timon of the Naval Service said the vessel will be subject to a forensic examination by Customs and gardaí.

They will assess the quantity and quality of the controlled substances on board.

Mr Timon said the operation was based on intelligence received by the National Crime Agency and the French customs service, through the maritime analysis and operations centre based in Lisbon.

The yacht was 200 nautical miles off Mizen Head when the seizure was made.

It was boarded under cover of darkness in the early hours of Tuesday.

The crew are not believed to have put up resistance.

The shipment is understood to have originated in South America, while the yacht set sail from the Caribbean.

It is not known at this stage if the drugs were due to be landed in Ireland for movement to the UK or if they were due to be brought ashore in the UK directly.

The Director of the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre, which coordinated the intelligence behind the operation, has said the Irish Joint Task Force did an excellent job in intercepting the vessel.

Speaking on RTÉ's News at One, Frank Francis said he believed some of the cargo would have ended up on mainland Europe.

"From our own personal experience in dealing with previous loads and loads that have gone into west Africa, we know that these loads are broken up.

"It's easier to deal with threats like this if you get close to the source, or you get close to the distribution before it actually gets split up.

"And so to intercept mid-Atlantic is actually an easier way of managing that threat," Mr Francis added. 


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John McNulty steps down from IMMA board

Fine Gael's John McNulty has announced he is to step down from the Irish Museum of Modern Art board.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny had come under pressure over the appointment of Mr McNulty to the board in recent days.

Fianna Fáil said the appointment was made to help the candidacy of the Donegal businessman in a forthcoming Seanad by-election.

However, Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Heather Humphreys had said she appointed Mr McNulty on his own merits.

A statement from Mr McNulty said the institution's internal rules preclude him from being a board member and contesting an election at the same time.

He said: "I am stepping down from the IMMA board with immediate effect, in accordance with IMMA's internal rules, which preclude me from being a board member and contesting an election at the same time.

"I will continue to be a member of IMMA, and an active supporter of their work."

He added that he looked forward to continuing his election campaign, for a seat in the Seanad.

Fine Gael TD John Deasy had this afternoon said the appointment process regarding Mr McNulty's nomination to the Seanad had clearly been manipulated and abused.

Speaking on RTÉ's News at One, he said that people were disgusted at how Fine Gael was being run.

Mr Deasy also said the promotion within the party was based on loyalty to the Taoiseach and not on ability.

The Donegal businessman has been nominated by Fine Gael to fill the vacancy left by the election of former Senator Deirdre Clune to the European Parliament in May.

Mr Deasy said the controversy was indicative of what has been going on in Fine Gael for some time.

The calculation from the Taoiseach was that "he can pretty much do anything he wants," because as long as the economy continues to improve the public will not care, the Waterford TD added.

"We all know what happened. It really was a case of pointing that out and asking for some accountability with regard to the process here, which was clearly manipulated and abused, and this appointment to the IMMA board was to construct a credential to allow Mr McNulty to pursue the [Seanad] nomination."

Mr Deasy said he believed Minister Humphreys nominated Mr McNulty at the request of the Taoiseach and that she simply did "what she was told to do".

He said there was an uncomfortable viewpoint expressed at last night's parliamentary party meeting.

Mr Deasy added that there was a sense of fear within the parliamentary party that if you did not toe the line you would be punished. He said the Taoiseach was at the heart of this.

Ms Humphreys said Mr McNulty had indicated an interest in the area and she looked at his credentials and formed the view that he was a good person.

The minister said the two appointments she made to the IMMA board were intended to give a regional spread to a Dublin-based body.

She had no role in his selection as a Seanad candidate, she added.

Fine Gael accused of 'jobs for the boys'

Earlier, the nomination of Mr McNulty was raised in the Dáil.

Sinn Féin's Mary Lou McDonald said the Taoiseach had bought into the policies of the past by appointing Mr McNulty to the board of IMMA.

She said this was a case of job for the boys and there was a stink of cronyism.

Tánaiste Joan Burton said that a vacancy arose in the Seanad and the practice was that the party from which the vacancy arose had the right to fill that vacancy.

Ms Burton said Sinn Féin had also availed of what is a "standard practice". She said all parties have followed this practice.

Elsewhere, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin called for the Seanad by-election to be suspended because of the controversy.

He also called on Mr Kenny to apologise to the board of IMMA.

Mr Martin claimed the board had been abused for internal Fine Gael party reasons.

However, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Charlie Flanagan said that he does not consider the nomination of Mr McNulty as a Seanad candidate as "stroke politics".

Speaking in New York, Minister Flanagan said that he did not know Mr McNulty but was "satisfied" that he was "eminently qualified for the position".

Overlooked candidate resigns from Fine Gael

One of the women overlooked for the nomination has resigned from the Fine Gael party.

Samantha Long said that "geography" and not gender was the main factor in choosing the party's nominee and she described it as "unfortunate politics".

Speaking on RTÉ's News at One, Ms Long said she was disappointed a woman had not been chosen for the Seanad nomination and she would now step away from politics to rebuild her career.

She said: "While I wasn't personally hopeful to be that nominated candidate, I'm very disappointed that it wasn't a woman, a suitably capable and a suitably qualified woman.

"I see it as geography over, possibly talent and definitely gender, and geographical considerations have come into this as the main consideration for this nominee."


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106 arrests in Ireland as part of EU crime swoop

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 24 September 2014 | 22.40

Gardaí have arrested more than 100 suspects as part of an unprecedented Europol swoop on organised crime across Europe.

Police across the EU arrested more than 1,000 suspects and rescued at least 30 trafficked children.

Gardaí confirmed 106 people were arrested in Ireland for offences such as burglary, theft, counterfeit notes and possession of offensive weapons.

One person was arrested over a sexual offence.

A total of 27 arrests were made over warrants, with one person arrested on foot of a European arrest warrant.

Operation Archimedes, from 15-23 September, "was the single largest coordinated assault on organised crime in Europe," Europol chief Rob Wainwright told reporters.

"We designed an operation specifically to hit criminal infrastructure," Mr Wainwright said at Europol's headquarters in The Hague.

"Multiple criminal enterprises, some of them the most serious, have been disrupted right across Europe," he said.

In total, 1,027 arrests were made, including 250 in Spain and 200 in Bulgaria, Mr Wainwright said.

In one of the raids, 30 Romanian children were saved from child traffickers aiming to use the victims as sex slaves or slave labour.

The operation targeted organised crime groups and their infrastructures across the European Union in a series of actions in hundreds of locations, with the cooperation of Eurojust, Frontex and Interpol.

Australia, Colombia, Norway, Serbia, Switzerland and the US also took part in the raids.

A total of 599kg of cocaine and 200kg of heroin was seized, as well as 1.3 tonnes of cannabis.


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Man charged over woman's stabbing in Dublin

A 48-year-old man has appeared in court charged in connection with a knife attack on a woman in Dublin yesterday morning.

Denis Leahy, of no fixed abode, is charged with assaulting Rose Kenny causing her serious harm at School Street flats in Dublin.

He was remanded in custody to appear again by video link at Cloverhill District Court next week.

Ms Kenny was attacked at around 8am yesterday as she left her home on her way to work in a nearby crèche.

The 46-year-old mother was stabbed in the throat, chest and stomach and remains in intensive care at St James's Hospital.

Detective Garda Richard Kelly from Kevin Street Garda Station told the court that he arrested Mr Leahy at 9am this morning.

Det Kelly said Mr Leahy had nothing to say when he was charged 45 minutes later.

The detective said Mr Leahy had only been in Ireland for the last few weeks and had not been registered for social welfare payments since 2000.

He also told the court this was the first time he met Mr Leahy and that he knew nothing about him.

The court also heard the prosecution has directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions and Mr Leahy is facing trial on indictment before a higher court.

Judge Patricia McNamara said this was a serious charge.

She deferred the application for free legal aid to allow gardaí to make further inquiries.


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Children escape bus fire in Co Cork

A bus carrying a number of children to the National Ploughing Championships today caught fire on the way to the event.

The incident happened outside Ballyvourney in Co Cork at around 7am.

Gardaí said it was a small fire in the engine of the bus and no one was injured in the incident.

All passengers, including the driver and the children, safely evacuated the bus.

The fire service attended the scene and brought the blaze under control.

If you were involved in or witnessed this morning's bus fire in Ballyvourney please tweet or email your pictures to @rtenews or newsonline@rte.ie.


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Banking inquiry agrees terms of reference

The Oireachtas banking inquiry has agreed the terms of reference for its investigation into the banking crisis.

The proposal is to be sent to both the Seanad and Dáil committees on Procedure and Privileges by the end of the week.

The committee discussed 51 amendments to the advisory group's proposal on how the probe should be conducted but there were no substantive changes agreed.

A number of amendments were agreed including that the inquiry examine the role of the media in the crisis.

After both committees on Procedure and Privileges examine the bank inquiry's proposal, it is due to be discussed and voted on in both chambers in mid-October.

The banking inquiry should begin at the end of October and the first public hearings on the context to the crisis will take place in December.

The role of the media would be included in this phase.


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IS-linked group 'beheads' abducted Frenchman

Jihadists linked to the Islamic State group claim to have beheaded a Frenchman abducted in Algeria in a video posted online.

Herve Gourdel, a 55-year-old hiker from the southern French city of Nice, was kidnapped on Sunday by Jund al-Khilifa.

The group had demanded that France stop its air strikes against IS in Iraq.

There was no official immediate confirmation from the French or Algerian governments.


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Obama calls on world to help defeat jihadists

President Barack Obama has called on the world to join the US-led coalition to defeat jihadists in Iraq and Syria, branding them terrorists engaged in a "network of death."

"The United States of America will work with a broad coalition to dismantle this network of death," Mr Obama told the UN General Assembly.

"Today I ask the world to join in this effort."

The US president spoke as the United States, backed by its Arab allies, carried out a second wave of air strikes in Syria, the latest front in its campaign to destroy the Islamic State group.

"The only language understood by killers like this is the language of force," Mr Obama said in his address to the 193-nation assembly.

"We will use our military might in a campaign of air strikes to roll back ISIL," he added, referring to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant that has since been renamed the Islamic State.

Mr Obama was among the first speakers at the podium of the week-long debate.

He will chair a special UN Security Council meeting during which a resolution will be adopted on stemming the flow of foreign fighters to Iraq and Syria.

The US-drafted resolution calls on all countries to "prevent and suppress" recruitment and all forms of assistance to foreign fighters, and would make it illegal to collect funds or help organise their travel.

Mr Obama warned "those who joined ISIL should leave the battlefield while they can."

The resolution falls under Chapter 7 of the UN charter, which means the measures could be enforced by economic sanctions or military force.

The appeal for support of the US-led effort was coupled with a call to Muslim countries to reject the ideology of radical Islam, by cutting off funding to extremists and taking aim at militant propaganda on the Internet.

"The ideology of ISIL or al-Qaeda or Boko Haram will wilt and die if it is consistently exposed, confronted and refuted in the light of day," the president said.

Appealing directly to the Muslim youth, Mr Obama declared that Islam had traditionally valued education, innovation and the dignity of life.

"Those who call you away from this path are betraying this tradition," he warned.

The United States will be a "constructive partner" with Muslim countries in the fight against radical Islam, said Mr Obama, but ultimately, this is a "task for the people of the Middle East themselves."

IS fighters battle Kurdish forces

Earlier, the IS group reinforced fighters who are battling Kurdish forces for control of a Syrian city at the border with Turkey, a Kurdish military official said.

Ocalan Iso, deputy leader of the Kurdish forces defending the town of Kobane at the Turkish border, said more IS fighters and tanks had arrived since the coalition began air strikes on the group.

"The number of their fighters has increased, the number of their tanks has increased since the bombardment of Raqqa," Mr Iso said.

IS-controlled territory in the city and province of Raqqa was hit in the air strikes by a US-led alliance yesterday.

He said IS forces had advanced to within 8km of the southern periphery of Kobane, which is also known as Ayn al-Arab - closer than they had been at any stage.

Air strikes overnight hit IS territory in Syria near the Turkish border, an organisation that tracks violence in the Syrian war said.

Rami Abdulrahman, who runs the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said the warplanes that carried out the raids west of the city of Kobane, had come from the direction of Turkey.

He added that they were not Syrian.

The observatory gathers its information from a network of activists across Syria.

Britain 'cannot opt out'

Elsewhere, British Prime Minister David Cameron has said Britain cannot opt out of a battle against IS jihadists, as newspapers reported he was considering joining air strikes targeting the group.

"This is a fight you cannot opt out of. These people want to kill us," Mr Cameron told an interview with NBC News.

He said the militants had planned attacks in Europe and elsewhere.

"They've got us in their sights and we have to put together this coalition, working with radical support ... to make sure that we ultimately destroy this evil organisation," he said. 

IS militants have killed hundreds of people in the swathes of Iraq and Syria under the group's control, forced more than one million from their homes in Iraq, and beheaded a number of foreign hostages.

Mr Cameron has given his backing to air strikes and missile attacks against the jihadist group by the United States and Arab allies, but has so far limited British involvement to arming Kurdish fighters and supportive roles.


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National Ploughing Championships under way

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 23 September 2014 | 22.40

The 83rd National Ploughing Championships is under way at Ratheniska near Stradbally in Co Laois.

More than 200,000 people are expected to attend the three-day event, which will feature around 1,400 exhibitors.

It is Europe's largest outdoor exhibition and agricultural trade show.

This is the second consecutive year that the National Ploughing Championships have been held in Ratheniska.

The event has become the flagship event in the Irish agri-food calendar.

However, it is no longer just about ploughing, machinery and farm animals.

Every aspect of Irish life is covered, with 1,400 trade stands and 800 acres in the entire site.

The gates opened at 8am, and with six separate access routes, gardaí are advising people to plan their journey.

Drivers are asked to take note of the colour code of the car parks they use.

It is expected that there will be some traffic congestion in the area.

President Michael D Higgins performed an official opening at midday.

Politicians from all parties and the vast majority of media organisations will attend the event over the coming days.


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Dublin Bus facing 'significant challenges'

Dublin Bus has implemented costs savings totalling more than €60m a year, but significant challenges still remain for the company, according to Chairman-Designate Ultan Courtney. 

Addressing the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications, Mr Courtney said while the company was now heading for a more stable financial position, the careful and prudent management of the limited financial resources available remain a top priority for management.

Mr Courtney said the company will be focusing on the ageing of the bus fleet, the nature and size of the government subvention, giving customers value for money, and securing value for money from suppliers.

He also warned that capital investment was a priority.

Mr Courtney said Dublin Bus had had a very difficult few years, and that management had worked hard to make the most of the revenues available to it.

He said this had involved some very tough choices about reducing costs, fleet size and changes to routes and schedules.

Mr Courtney told the committee that last year, the Dublin Bus workforce of 3,200 staff and its fleet of 932 buses were responsible for transporting 114 million passenger journeys over 56 million kilometres.

He also said that at present, 61% of all public transport trips into Dublin city centre are on the bus, with the company operating 110 routes, including 19 high frequency routes criss-crossing the city.

He said that Dublin Bus was striving to retain existing passengers and attract new ones, pointing out that Dublin commuters had multiple alternative transport options. 

Mr Courtney cited the importance of having a modern, clean reliable fleet of buses, giving value for money, and providing more on board services.

He referred to a number of improvements in services for Dublin Bus customers, including better real time passenger information, free wifi.

He also noted the introduction of the Leap card, which will be used over 30 million times this year.

Mr Courtney acknowledged that staff had made their contribution to those changes, describing them as the company's greatest asset. 

He said he wanted to make Dublin Bus a great place to work. 

He said Dublin Bus was a vital transport network, and a key component in enabling economic growth and the creation of jobs.

Mr Courtney also outlined his career to the committee including that he started out as a Dublin Bus conductor.


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US not alone in fight against IS - Obama

US President Barack Obama has vowed to continue the fight against Islamic State fighters following the first US-led airstrikes targeting the militant group in Syria.

He also pledged to build even more international support for the effort.

"Once again, it must be clear to anyone who would plot against America and do Americans harm that we will not tolerate safe havens for terrorists who threaten our people," Mr Obama said.

He said the strength of the coalition, now at more than 40 countries, including five Arab states that took part in this today's air campaign, shows the fight against such militants is not the US's alone.

"America is proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with these nations on behalf of our common security," he said.

"The strength of this coalition makes it clear to the world that this not America's fight alone."

Mr Obama also said he would meet Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and "friends and allies" at the United Nations to continue building support for the coalition.

"The overall effort will take time. There will be challenges ahead but we're going to do what's necessary to take the fight to this terrorist group," Mr Obama said.

He added that the campaign is in line with the strategy he outlined earlier this month to combat the Islamic State group.

The air campaign opens a new front against militants by joining Syria's three-year-old civil war.

Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates participated in or supported the strikes against Islamic State targets.

US officials have said persistent strikes will continue, although the pace and timing will vary. More details were expected when the Pentagon briefs reporters later today.

IS has vowed revenge in the wake of the strikes.

Reports say that up to 120 Islamic militants have been killed in the airstrikes in Syria.

The dead included more than 70 members of IS group in the north and east of Syria, as well as 50 al-Qaeda militants, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Eight civilians, among them three children, were killed in US strikes in the west of northern Aleppo province, the observatory said.

The group said at least 300 people were injured in the strikes, about 100 of whom were in serious condition.

Assad supports 'international effort'

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said it backed any international effort against "terrorism".

"Syria will continue to resolutely fight the war it has been prosecuting for years against ... terrorism," he was quoted as saying.

"It supports any international effort to fight against terrorism."

The targets included Raqqa city, the headquarters of the IS group, an extremist Sunni Muslim force that has seized large expanses of territory in Iraq and Syria and proclaimed a caliphate erasing borders in the heart of the Middle East.

Syrian state television said the US informed Syria's UN representative yesterday that IS targets would be hit in Raqqa, which is 400km northeast of Damascus.

US officials and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group that tracks violence in the Syrian war, said buildings used by the militants, their weapons supplies and checkpoints were targeted in the attacks on Raqqa.

Areas along the Iraq-Syria border were also hit.

"There are tens of wounded and dead," Rami Abdulrahman, head of the observatory, told Reuters.

The group gathers information from a network of activists on the ground.

The addition of Arab allies was seen as crucial for the credibility of the US-led campaign.

US allies in the Middle East are skeptical of how far it will commit to a conflict in which nearly every country in the region has a stake.

Israel shoots down Syrian fighter jet

Israel shot down a Syrian fighter jet over the Golan Heights, the army said, indicating that it had crossed the ceasefire line into the Israeli-occupied sector.

It was the most serious incident to take place on the strategic plateau since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011. 

"A warplane that penetrated Israeli territory was successfully shot down a short while ago by the air defence systems along the Syrian border," the Israeli military said, without giving further details.

Army radio said it was apparently a MiG-21 fighter jet, which was shot down by a surface-to-air Patriot missile, with the wreckage landing on the Syrian-controlled side of the plateau.

The downing came just three weeks after Israel shot down a drone over the Golan as heavy fighting raged on the Syrian side, most of which has been seized by rebels fighting to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad. 

Meanwhile, Minister for Defence Simon Coveney will be reporting to Cabinet today on developments regarding the next deployment of troops to the Golan Heights.

Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Mr Coveney said he would be making a recommendation to Cabinet and subsequently making a statement in the Dáil this evening.

He said the Government had made it very clear to the United Nations that it needed to see a structural change to the mission there.


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Man held after woman stabbed in Dublin

A man has been arrested after a woman was left in a critical condition following a stabbing in Dublin city.

The woman, who is aged in her 40s, was stabbed a number of times during an incident in the stairwell of a flats complex on School Street.

She was taken by ambulance to St James's Hospital where her condition is understood to be critical but stable.

A man, aged in his 40s, was arrested by gardaí a short time later.

The scene was preserved for a technical examination and gardaí at Kevin Street are appealing for witnesses.


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Concern over hospital waiting lists and budgets

Hospital waiting lists are increasing and University Hospital Limerick has overspent its budget by over €17m to July, according to latest performance figures from the Health Service Executive.

The HSE currently expects its year-end deficit to be €510m.

The July performance report shows that the number of adults waiting over eight months for a procedure is up nearly 20% and the number of children waiting over 20 weeks is up 16%, compared with the previous month's figures.

The HSE has said some outpatient waiting list targets have been breached by over 300% since January and there are 360,753 people waiting to be seen at a clinic.

While the number waiting over a year to be seen has decreased, there are still over 37,800 patients waiting beyond this period and in a small number of cases waiting over four years.

The July performance report shows there are 54,066 people on a waiting list for an inpatient, or day case procedure - 48,996 adults and 5,070 children.

A further 3,247 people are waiting for a gastro-intestinal endoscopy check, up 20% on the June figures.

The HSE says the number of referrals for planned operations and out-patients has increased, month on month, and the number of patients admitted to emergency departments has also been rising.

The hospitals with the longest adult waiting lists, for inpatient or day case care are: Galway University Hospital with 6,462 patients waiting; Beaumont Hospital Dublin with 5,127 waiting; Mater Dublin 4,594 waiting; St James's Dublin 3,927 waiting; Cappagh National Orthopaedic with 2,823 waiting; and Waterford Regional with 2,571 waiting.

The hospitals with the longest child waiting lists for an inpatient, or day case treatment are: Midland Regional Tullamore with 550 waiting; Galway University Hospitals 362 patients; University Hospital Limerick 337; and Waterford Regional 306.

The HSE says it is preparing an analysis of the growing rates of waiting list target breaches to project extra elective capacity needs but in the context of cost containment.

Comparing July 2014 to July 2013, the number of patients waiting in emergency departments on a trolley for ward bed accommodation is up by 10%.

One factor has been an increase in the complexity of cases attending emergency departments.

Other contributory factors are: continued bed closures this year as a cost-containment measure, refurbishment or cleaning of beds and a rise in "delayed discharges" in hospitals, which now number over 660 patients.

The level of funding to enable these patients to be discharged is not available, the HSE has warned.

The HSE's reported deficit to July is €285m.

Other hospitals that have heavily overspent their budget are: Waterford Regional €8.9m over budget; St Vincent's University Hospital Dublin €8.5m over; Mater Hospital Dublin €7.7m over; Beaumont Hospital Dublin and Cork University Hospitals each over by €7.3m and Letterkenny General €6.9m over.

The HSE's spend on agency staff was €194m to July, compared with €131m for the comparable period last year.


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Former BBC DJ Travis guilty of indecent assault

Former BBC Radio 1 DJ Dave Lee Travis has been found guilty of indecent assault.

The ex-Top of the Pops presenter was cleared on a second charge of the same offence following a trial at London's Southwark Crown Court.

The jury were unable to agree a verdict on another charge of sexual assault and were discharged.

Travis, 69, had faced a retrial after jurors failed to reach verdicts on two of the charges earlier this year.

The jury of six men and six women came to their verdicts after 19 hours and 15 minutes.

Prosecutor Teresa Hay told the court a retrial would not be sought on the count of sexual assault that the jury was hung on and a formal verdict of not guilty was entered.

The forewoman told the court the jury had found Travis guilty of a single count of indecent assault by a majority of ten to two.

Judge Anthony Leonard QC warned the former radio star that he was looking at "all options" when he considered his sentence.

Sophie Wood, defending, told the judge they would be asking for Travis to be given a non-custodial community order sentence.

Judge Leonard said "all options remain open", including jail.

Travis left the courtroom accompanied by his wife Marianne.

He declined to comment on the verdict, saying: "I'm not speaking to anybody right this moment."


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Govt urged to maintain prudent budgetary stance

Written By Unknown on Senin, 22 September 2014 | 22.40

The Fiscal Advisory Council has urged the Government to stick to plans for tax rises and spending cuts in the Budget, despite an improving economic situation and stronger tax revenues.

In a pre-Budget statement, the council warned that a premature easing of fiscal adjustment now would increase the risk of further consolidation in the future.

Last week's growth figures for the second quarter show the economy is performing strongly and the Government is getting a lot more tax revenue than it expected at the start of the year.

Minister for Finance Michael Noonan has said the Budget on 14 October could be '"neutral", with no more tax increases or spending cuts needed.

But the council thinks easing back now would be dangerous.

It said the very high Government debt level, which is 1.2 times the size of the economy, leaves the State finances vulnerable to shocks such as recession or interest rate rises.

It argued that a large part of this year's planned €2bn adjustment should come from a mix of tax rises and spending cuts, rather than relying on extra revenue from a rising economy.

This would leave the State far better positioned to deal with its big debt in a gradual way over time, it said.

The council argued the benefits of one final significant fiscal effort outweigh the likely negative short-term economic impact.

Tánaiste Joan Burton has said the Government will look very carefully at what the council had to say.

However, she said what is important and what they agree on is reducing the deficit and building a sustainable recovery.

Ms Burton said the council has huge expertise and it is important we get sustainable recovery and people back to work.

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Public Expenditure and Reform Mary Lou McDonald said she takes issue with any suggestion from the council that moves to bring relief to tax payers is a message to "let rip" in the economy. 

Speaking on RTÉ's Today with Sean O'Rourke, Ms McDonald said while there was a need for responsible management of the economy, there needed to be relief for struggling families.

"People might be caught in a position where far from facing a neutral Budget, [they] will be facing now into a budgetary cycle - where the propaganda and the headline figures look good - but the reality of the cash in peoples' pockets is very, very bad," she said.

Important to learn from past mistakes - McHale

IFAC chairman Professor John McHale said he appreciates that people's expectations will increase given recent economic growth.

However, he said the council felt it was important that the Government maintained focus and continued along the path of economic recovery.

Prof McHale said everybody knew the consequences of the "boom-bust cycle" and the negative impact this had on many people in recent years.

He said it was important that policy makers learned from this and insured the mistakes of the past were not repeated.

Based on Exchequer returns data to the end of August (and assuming no further revenue growth) the IFAC estimated that a €2bn adjustment will leave this year's Budget deficit at 3.7% of GDP, and next year's will be 1.9%.

This would be well inside the 3% deficit target for next year.

However, IFAC said 3% should be seen at the maximum tolerable level for the deficit, which should be brought lower to improve the ability of the State's finances to withstand economic shocks without the need for further consolidation measures.

It said its estimates face upside and downside risks, as they do not take into account an overrun in health spending beyond an assumed level of €500 million, improvements in nominal GDP contained in the most recent quarterly growth data, or savings from an early repayment of IMF loans.

In effect, the council urged the State to bank any unexpected gains from stronger than forecast growth and continue with the final €2 billion adjustment.

It said making permanent - or structural - measures to improve the State's finances will have long lasting benefits, unlike revenue gains from an upswing in the business cycle.

The council said debt levels remain very high, with general Government gross debt of €215 billion in the first quarter of this year, or 122% of GDP.

There is still a large gap between revenue and expenditure, estimated this year at €7 billion, which is being borrowed and which adds to the debt pile.

It pointed out that Ireland's debt ratio is the fourth highest in the euro area, and is over 30 percentage points higher than the Euro area average. It said consolidation measures introduced in Budgets since 2008 have stabilised the debt level, but more is needed to reduce the debt to safer levels.

The council said that while considerable progress has been achieved in reducing Ireland's structural deficit, it is highly likely that at least some of the remaining deficit is structural.

Failure to address this now could mean that a return to a more restrictive fiscal stance in future budgets could be needed to keep the public finances on track. It warned that would be costly and difficult to achieve.

It also warned against eroding or constraining the State's ability to raise further revenues, and said a growing and ageing population will make it very hard for the State to keep control of its medium term spending plans.

The council warned that there is little or no room to increase Government spending over the medium term.

'Challenging' expenditure benchmark predicted

The EU expenditure Benchmark - a technical measure designed to ensure that governments only increase spending in line with economic growth or increases in tax revenue - and the more ambitious national expenditure ceilings introduced by the Government - will be "extremely challenging", the council claimed.

Under the Expenditure Benchmark for Ireland for the years 2014 to 2016, aggregate spending growth is limited to minus 0.7% in real terms. It said the Government's own spending rules imply a larger real reduction in spending than required to comply with EU rules.

IFAC said the ongoing Comprehensive Expenditure Review - being carried out by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform - should be used to identify spending priorities and efficiencies so as to limit the damage to public services and protections.  

However, it said: "Given the underlying pressures, care needs to be taken in pursuing policies that reduce revenue raising capacity or introduce significant new spending commitments as part of a scaled back adjustment package."

It also questioned whether the size of the Budget surplus required to start paying down the very high Government debt level can be maintained. 

The stability programme update published in April implied a primary Budget surplus (i.e. a surplus of income over expenditure before debt service costs) of 3% of GDP would be required for several years to set the debt firmly on a downward path toward safe levels.  

It cited recent research on 54 countries suggesting that while there have been a few examples of states running 3% surpluses for up to five years, "instances of larger and longer surpluses than this are rare in a historical context".

It said maintaining the fiscal discipline required to achieve primary budget surpluses will become politically harder as crisis memories fade.

There is also "a risk that public fatigue with prolonged fiscal retrenchment could make it difficult to achieve the primary surpluses needed to reduce the debt/GDP ratio significantly.

In this environment it is questionable that the right course of action is to now scale back to a significant degree on what was to be the last big push in the adjustment plan", the council cautioned.


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Inquest into death of Dhara Kivlehan begins

An inquest into the death of an Indian woman, who died days after giving birth at Sligo General Hospital, has opened in Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim.

Dhara Kivlehan died at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast in 2010 after failing to get proper treatment in Sligo.

The family of Ms Kivlehan, including her husband Michael, have repeatedly called for an inquest to be held in the Repubic of Ireland to compel witnesses from Sligo to attend and to find out what exactly led to her death.

Ms Kivlehan gave birth to the couple's only child Dior four years ago at Sligo General Hospital.

She was flown to Belfast days later after developing a severe form of pre-eclampsia and died from multiple organ failure.

In a statement Mr Kivlehan said he lost the light of his life when his wife died.

He said it was a struggle bringing up his son without his mother.

Mr Kivlehan told the court his wife had developed abdominal pains and swelling in late pregnancy and she was taken to Sligo General Hospital and kept in.

Mr Kivlehan was asked to sign a consent form as the baby needed to be delivered urgently.

The baby was delivered by Cesarean section, but Ms Kivlehan was not taken to intensive care.

Instead, she remained in a side room for two days. She was puffed and her skin was orange in colour.

When Mr Kivlehan inquired whether she might be jaundiced, he was told it was difficult to tell because she was Indian.

He also gave evidence of being told by a nurse not to eavesdrop on a gathering of doctors near his wife's bed and to get her a drink.

Days later, she was taken to intensive care and then transferred to Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital, where she died of multiple organ failure.


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€600k Govt aid to help tackle spread of Ebola

Ireland is to provide €600,000 as well as emergency supplies to help communities in Sierra Leone and Liberia affected by the Ebola virus.

Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs Seán Sherlock said the aid would include more than 40 tonnes of emergency supplies, such as blankets, tents, mosquito nets and water tanks.

The announcement follows the ending of a three-day curfew in Sierra Leone, aimed at containing the outbreak of Ebola, which has so far killed at least 2,793 people in west Africa.

Around 150 new cases of the deadly virus in addition to around 70 bodies were discovered during the lockdown, according to officials who say they might repeat the campaign.

Minister Sherlock said: "I am gravely concerned about the continued spread of Ebola and the devastating impact on communities and families in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea. Many of the people affected were already extremely vulnerable.

"The Ebola epidemic in west Africa is the worst ever, with more than 5,000 people now reported to have been infected.

"Health services in these countries are already overwhelmed and the World Health Organisation has warned of an exponential increase in Ebola cases over the coming months." 

In the most extreme strategy employed by a nation since the epidemic began, Sierra Leone ordered its six million residents to stay indoors as volunteers circulated to educate households, as well as isolate the sick and remove the dead.

Before the lockdown officially ended, residents in some parts of the capital, Freetown, emerged onto the streets to sing and dance. 

Police in the western part of the city said they had made a number of arrests in an attempt to enforce the measure in its final hours.

Stephen Gaojia, head of the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) that leads the national Ebola response, said a few areas had still not been reached by the government's teams.

"Even though the exercise has been a huge success so far, it has not been concluded in some metropolitan cities like Freetown and Kenema," he said.

EU to pledge €140 million in fight against Ebola

European countries are assessing what resources they have to help fight Ebola and are planning a coordinated response to the worst outbreak of the virus in history, Italy's health minister said today.

The European Union has pledged €140 million to reinforce the fight against Ebola in West Africa, where the hemorrhagic fever has killed at least 2,793 people in five countries, according to the World Health Organisation.

"Only four or five countries in Europe are equipped.

"We will work together to coordinate the aid effort," Beatrice Lorenzin said as EU health ministers met in Milan.

Ms Lorenzin said no definitive decisions about how to proceed would be made today, but Europe would formulate a plan of action to present at a forthcoming meeting in Washington.

There have been no cases of Ebola in Italy, but EU citizens who contracted the disease in West Africa have been repatriated to Britain, France and Spain. 


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Turkey closing some border crossings with Syria

Turkey has begun to close some of its border crossings with Syria following an influx of nearly 100,000 Kurdish refugees over the weekend to escape an offensive by jihadists from the self-styled Islamic State.

The Turkish government estimates the number of refugees crossing the Turkish border is closer to 130,000.

Speaking to reporters in Ankara, the country's deputy prime minister, Numan Kurtulmus, said Turkey was "prepared for the worst scenario, which is an influx of hundreds of thousands of refugees".

Syrian Kurds are leaving the area around Ain al-Arab, or Kobane, as the town is known in Kurdish, which is under attack by IS.

Until now, Kobane, the third biggest Kurdish population centre in Syria, had been relatively safe and had taken in 200,000 people displaced from elsewhere in Syria.

IS has captured more than 60 villages around Kobane over the past five days, which has triggered an exodus of terrified civilians.

Forty-two people, including 16 children, were killed by the Syrian government in air strikes yesterday, according to a human rights group.

The strikes were carried out yesterday in the largely rebel-held province of Idlib.

The US and France are carrying out air strikes against IS targets across Iraq and are seeking to build an international coalition against the group, which is increasingly perceived as a global threat.

The jihadists, who have declared a "caliphate" straddling Iraq and Syria, control swathes of territory in both countries.


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