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Actavis buying Warner Chilcott in $8.5bn deal

Mon, 20 May 2013 17:31:34 -0400

WASHINGTON/ DUBLIN - Actavis Inc, the largest US generic drug maker by market value, is acquiring Dublin-based Warner Chilcott in a deal worth $8.5billion (5.6billion pounds) including $3billion net debt, to create the third-biggest specialty pharmaceutical company in the country. Under the deal, Actavis, which itself has been the subject of bid speculation, would be offering $5billion in ...

Morgan Stanley to sell Indian private banking arm to StanChart

Mon, 20 May 2013 16:51:43 -0400

MUMBAI - The UK based Standard Chartered (StanChart) Monday announced plans to acquire the Indian private wealth management business of US multinational financial services firm Morgan Stanley for an undisclosed amount as part of plans to expand operations. The acquisition is subject to regulatory approvals. "Standard Chartered India has agreed to acquire Morgan Stanley's onshore private ...

Elderly cyclist killed in collision with car

Mon, 20 May 2013 00:52:52 -0400

A man in his 80s has been killed in a road traffic accident in Co. Kildare. The man was riding a bicycle when he was struck by a car on the Dublin Road at Clane on Sunday afternoon. The driver of the car, reportedly in his twenties, attended Naas Garda Station for questioning but left the station on Sunday night without any charges being laid. A post-mortem is expected to be carried out on ...

Busy weekend for Enda Kenny in United States

Mon, 20 May 2013 00:26:34 -0400

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has spent the weekend in Boston, Massachusetts furthering the strength of U.S. -Ireland relations. The head of Ireland's government attended a function on Saturday at the JFK Library to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of President Kennedy's 1963 visit to Ireland At the ceremony Kenny addressed an audience of U.S. lawmakers and representatives of the business ...

Fergie Premier League manager of year

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:10:02 -0400

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson was named the Premier League manager of the year and accepted the award from the League Manager Association Monday. Ferguson, 71, announced his retirement last week after 27 years at the helm transforming United into a great team with a record of 20 top-flight league titles. His 1,500th and last match in charge of United was a stunning 5-5 draw at ...

Kevin OBrien says no specific plans against Pak spinner Saeed Ajmal

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:00:04 -0400

Irish all-rounder Kevin O'Brien, whose team will face Pakistan in the upcoming two ODI series at home, has said that Saeed Ajmal is a "tricky customer" as well as "one of the best spinners in the world", but have admitted that they have no specific plans on how to tackle Ajmal in the upcoming matches. The 29 year-old, who was also part of the side that knocked Pakistan out of the 2007 World Cup ...

Video Ireland rejects blame in Apple tax battle

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:27:41 -0400

Ireland says it's not to blame for the low rate of tax paid by Apple Inc. after a U.S. Senate report said the company had kept billions of dollars in profits in Irish subsidiaries and paid little or no taxes on ...

Card fraud down significantly last year

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:25:08 -0400

There has been a significant decrease in the level of payment card fraud in Ireland in the past year, with just over €20m lost to fraud on Irish cards in 2012. Figures released today from the Irish Payment Services Organisation show that almost €20.4m was lost to card fraud last year. Card fraud was closely split between credit and debit cards, with €9.5m fraudulently spent on ...

Flashback U2 Scam Their Way Onto Irish TV in 1978

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:25:07 -0400

in March of 1978. Bono heard the program was looking to feature a young band and convinced a producer to attend one of U2's rehearsals. The group played "Glad to See You Go" by ...

European Parliament set to add Irish to website

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:25:07 -0400

The European Parliament appears to be set to produce an Irish language version of its website. It is currently the only one of the EU's 23 official languages not used. The move follows a meeting between a delegation of Irish MEPs and European Parliament President Martin Schulz today. It is understood the decision will formally be made at a meeting of the European Parliament's Bureau ...

Ireland refutes US charges

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:20:22 -0400

Ireland said on Tuesday it was not to blame for Apple Inc's low global tax payments after the US Senate said the company paid little or nothing on tens of billions of dollars in profits stashed in Irish subsidiaries.The Irish government, which has seen the luring of US multinationals with low taxes as a key part of its economic policy since the 1960s, said its system was transparent and ...

Green to step down from Paralympics Ireland Board after announcing retirement

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:18:05 -0400

May 21 - Brenda Green will step down as a Board member of Paralympics Ireland next month having announced her retirement following 35 years of service to disability sport. Green is perhaps best-known for founding Cerebral Palsy Sport Ireland in 1978 as there was previously no group providing sport specifically for people with the condition.She became the organisation's first chairperson and ...

Man faces multiple rape charges in Australia

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:06:24 -0400

Prosecutor Gavin Silbert SC said Bayley was facing a total of 14 charges, including rape, false imprisonment, assault, intentionally causing injury and making a threat to kill. Police allege he carried out the offences in the Melbourne suburbs of Elwood and Balaclava between 2000 and 2012. Bayley pleaded not guilty to all charges and was committed to stand trial on May 26th 2014. The media ...

National Museum unveils haul of ‘looted’ artefacts

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:06:23 -0400

National Museum of Ireland today unveiled a recently recovered collection of some 900 artefacts which it said had been looted from historical sites ...

‘Very low’ risk from new UK nuclear plants

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:06:22 -0400

Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII) which today published a study on the possible impacts for Ireland of up to eight new nuclear power plants, the closest of which would be 100 kilometres from ...

Ireland Still Hoping to Refinance Bank Debts Through ESM

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:03:15 -0400

Ireland's government is still hoping the euro area authorities will allow it to refinance huge debts it ran up during the country's deep financial crisis to save its surviving banks, Irish Finance Minister Michael Noonan said Tuesday.Ireland struck a deal with the European Central Bank in February that allowed it to issue long-term Irish government bonds to refinance most of the 32 ...

Wales-Northern Ireland exam talks

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:03:13 -0400

Welsh Education Minister Leighton Andrews says he is talking to Northern Ireland about establishing joint exam standards - independent of England. UK Education Secretary Michael Gove has said it is time for Wales, England and Northern Ireland to go their separate way on GCSEs and A-levels. In a letter, Mr Gove said he believed the differences between the devolved education systems were driving ...

Boston pro-lifers demonstrate against honorary degree for Enda Kenny

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:53:33 -0400

About 50 people demonstrated outside the grounds of Boston College on May 20 as the Jesuit institution conferred an honorary degree on Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny. Boston's Cardinal Sean O'Malley did not attend the day's commencement exercises. The cardinal had announced that he would not make his customary appearance because of Boston College's decision to honor Kenny, ...

Home-made bomb parts discovered in Dublin

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:52:37 -0400

Parts of a home-made bomb have been discovered on the North Strand Road in Dublin. The Army bomb disposal team responded to reports of a device in the area just after 11 o'clock this morning. The area was declared safe just after 1pm and the device was taken away for a technical examination. A spokesperson for the Defence Forces says the device was not viable but contained the component ...

Taoiseach Information on Wallace was relevant to Shatters argument

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:52:37 -0400

The Taoiseach Enda Kenny has dismissed opposition party calls for the Justice Minister Alan Shatter to resign.Fianna Fil said Mr Shatter's decision to reveal that Mick Wallace benefited from Garda discretion is "an abuse of office and an abuse of power".Sinn Fin is accusing him of trying to "smear a political opponent" and called on the minister to step down.He is to make ...

Good news for O2 customers - in Dublin

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:52:36 -0400

O2 customers can expect to surf the net on their phone much faster from now on.The mobile phone giant has confirmed that it's significantly upgrading 3G coverage in Dublin.It is part of a longer-term plan to eventually introduce 4G ...

Unions warned over pay cuts deal

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:52:36 -0400

Public servants face compulsory redundancies unless they accept a new deal on cuts in pay and pensions, the Government has warned.Brendan Howlin, Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, asked that unions need to be given space to get members to accept the new package, that will result in some 300m euro in savings this year and a billion by 2015.He appealed for public sector workers to back ...

UPDATE 1-The Irish loophole behind Apples low tax bill

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:44:41 -0400

Tue May 21, 2013 12:44pm EDT By Tom Bergin LONDON May 21 (Reuters) - Apple's ability to shelter billions of dollars of income from tax has hinged on an unusual loophole in the Irish tax code that helps the country compete with other countries for investment and jobs. A U.S. Senate investigation has revealed that Apple, maker of iPhones, iPads and Mac computers, had channelled profits into ...

Taoiseach defends actions of Justice Minister

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:12:18 -0400

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said the Minister for Justice did not set out to "undermine" Independent TD Mick Wallace. Speaking during Leaders’ Questions, Mr Kenny said Alan Shatter did not wish to undermine Deputy Wallace but to undermine his argument Mr Kenny was responding to questions on the issue by Fianna Fáil leader Michael Martin. Mr Martin said Mr Shatter had ...

USPCA makes settlement in legal action

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:12:17 -0400

A Northern Ireland organisation promoting the welfare of animals is to pay £2,500 (€2,940) to a Co Fermanagh dog breeder who took legal action against it. Gerry Smyth from Rosslea brought the case against the Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals after it seized 46 of his dogs, and had them in its care from October 2006. Mr Smyth alleged the USPCA had been negligent ...

Irish opposition calls for multinationals to face parliament

Tue, 21 May 2013 11:55:09 -0400

DUBLIN | Tue May 21, 2013 11:55am EDT DUBLIN May 21 (Reuters) - An Irish opposition party called on Tuesday for Irish-based multinationals to be questioned on corporate tax by a parliamentary committee as debate raged over how much tax the companies actually pay. Ireland has been defending its corporate tax rate after the U.S. Senate said on Monday that Apple paid little or no tax on ...

Ireland Defends Attractive Tax Rates

Tue, 21 May 2013 11:11:41 -0400

As Apple faced criticism in Washington for not paying more in taxes, Ireland defended its low rates that made it easy for multinational corporations to do business there, instead blaming ...

Sole survivor of Tit Bonhomme tragedy gives evidence at inquest

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:57:16 -0400

The sole survivor of the Tit Bonhomme fishing tragedy, 44-year-old Abdelbaky Mohamed has told an inquest into the deaths of his five crewmates that he had sufficient sleep and rest on the ill-fated ...

Deaths from dementia in Northern Ireland hit new high

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:57:15 -0400

Political uncertainty over dealing with Northern Ireland's troubled past needs to be addressed, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has ...

Apple shifted profits to ‘ghost companies’ in Ireland US Congressional panel says

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:57:08 -0400

Apple "quietly negotiated" an income tax rate of less than 2 per cent with the Irish Government and shifted the lion's share of the company's worldwide profits to "ghost companies" in Ireland to avoid paying taxes in the United States, a US Congressional panel has ...

Ireland Defends Corporate Tax System

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:54:29 -0400

The Irish government Tuesday denied it is sheltering some of the world's largest corporations, like Apple Inc. (AAPL), from paying taxes, saying the country's longstanding low corporation tax regime is transparent and doesn't make it a tax haven.An investigation by the U.S. Senate has revealed that, through its use of technicalities in Irish and U.S. tax law, technology giant Apple ...

Gilmore Apple tax avoidance report not an issue for Irish govt

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:43:01 -0400

The Tnaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Eamon Gilmore says a US senate report which found Apple used Ireland to avoid paying tens of billions of euro in tax is not an issue for the government.Gilmore says the matter relates to international agreements and is nothing to do with the Irish Taxation system.He was responding to questions after a US Senate committee report found Apple exploited a ...

Rugby player murder accused seeks trial delay

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:00:40 -0400

A Limerick man accused of the 2008 murder of Garryowen rugby player Shane Geoghegan in the city has brought a High Court action to delay the start of his trial. John Dundon claims that he cannot get a fair trial unless his lawyers are given more time to go through the large volume of prosecution materials including CCTV footage and documents. His legal team says up to 500 working days are ...

Author Dan Brown hints at novel set in Ireland

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:00:39 -0400

The international best-selling writer Dan Brown has hinted he may set a new novel in Ireland. The author of The Da Vinci Code was in the capital last night as part of the Dublin Writers Festival. It was his first time to visit Ireland. Last night, he addressed an audience at the National Concert Hall, which was not a sell-out. He told the crowd that his interest in science and religion ...

Great chance to show what Ireland can do- OBrien

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:49:51 -0400

Kevin O'Brien , the Ireland allrounder, has said the upcoming ODIs against Pakistan are a welcome chance for his team to match skills with a Full Member side. Ireland, who last played a top team during the 2012 World T20, are set to play Pakistan in two one-dayers in Dublin on May 23 and 26. "It'll be a great chance for me personally and for the team to show what we can do ...

Primary school IT tests in Northern Ireland no longer compulsory after litany of glitches

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:46:36 -0400

John O'Dowd has announced that schools would not be compelled to complete the evaluations next autumn but could do so voluntarily using software from a range of providers. Last autumn a number of schools reported difficulties in using the programmes, with some teachers feeling under pressure and pupils distressed, the minister told the Assembly. "In moving forward I am determined to ...

The questions surrounding Shatter’s use of confidential Garda information

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:41:50 -0400

Despite the continuing row surrounding his disclosure of confidential Garda information neither of the two rules seem to apply to him. The controversy is five days old and running. Furthermore, Shatter spend an excruciatingly long 16 minutes yesterday making a "few comments" of explanation. And still the Minister's self-confidence that he is right and everybody else is wrong ...

Geoghegan murder accused seeks more time for defence

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:41:50 -0400

John Dundon is seeking more time to prefer his defence in the case where he is charged with the murder of Limerick rugby player Shane ...

Celebrities fail to lift centenary Chelsea Flower Show

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:41:49 -0400

The Trailfinders Australian Garden has won the gold medal and Best in Show at the Chelsea Flower Show 2013 at Royal Hospital Chelsea in London today. Photograph: Tim P. Whitby/Getty ...

Calls for Fianna Fail to allow free vote on abortion

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:41:48 -0400

Fianna Fil finance spokesman Michael McGrath has publicly called on his party leader Micheal Martin to allow a free vote on abortion ...

Abortion legislation ‘incompatible with the core values of human rights’

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:41:47 -0400

Abortion legislation is incompatible with the core values of human rights, Prof William Binchy, legal adviser to the anti-abortion campaign, has told ...

Apple CEO Tim Cook faces grilling on Irish tax scandal

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:40:46 -0400

Apple CEO Tim Cook will face questions from U.S. lawmakers Tuesday about how his company managed to keep its tax burden so low in Ireland. (Robert ...

Ireland says has no special tax deal with Apple

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:39:24 -0400

Apple Inc or any other company to tax their profits at a special 2 percent rate instead of the normal 12.5 percent, Ireland's European Affairs minister told Reuters on Tuesday. Ireland has been defending ...

Hey Dont Blame Us Ireland

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:39:23 -0400

Low Corporation Tax 'Crucial Profit Driver' ) In a 40-page memorandum released ahead of an appearance by Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook before Congress on Tuesday, a Senate subcommittee identified three subsidiaries that have no tax residency either in Ireland, where they are incorporated, or in the United States, where those companies are managed. The main subsidiary, a holding company ...

Ireland denies it is to blame for Apple’s low tax rate

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:39:22 -0400

DUBLIN -- Ireland said on Tuesday it was not to blame for Apple's low global tax payments after the US Senate said the technology company paid little or nothing on tens of billions of dollars in profits stashed in Irish subsidiaries. The Irish government, which has seen the luring of US multinationals with low taxes as a key part of its economic policy since the 1960s, said its system was ...

Dementia death toll hits new high in NI

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:27:28 -0400

The number of deaths from dementia in Northern Ireland hit a new high of 1,400 last year, it was revealed.People are living longer - to 76 on average - but more are suffering slow decline from conditions like Alzheimer's disease, official statistics showed.The overall death rate today is 40% lower than in the early 1980s.Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency senior statistician ...

Man fined €750 for assaulting school principal

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:47:29 -0400

A man who assaulted a school principal in a row over the disciplining of his son has been fined €750 at Kilrush District Court in Co Clare. Martin James Tubridy, 55, of Quarry Vale House, Labasheeda, Co Clare, was convicted of assaulting school principal Liam Wolfe at the small rural school in Labasheeda in 2011. Tubridy was dissatisfied with the way his eight-year-old son was disciplined ...

Apple saved billions in taxes using Irish subsidiaries

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:44:46 -0400

Apple CEO Tim Cook delivers the keynote address during the Apple 2012 World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) at Moscone West on June 11, 2012 in San Francisco, California. As Apple CEO Tim Cook awakens Tuesday morning to prep for a hearing on Capitol Hill about corporate taxes, the lawmakers set to question him are armed with a report saying his company kept billions in profits in Irish ...

Bank of Ireland reverses mortgage rate increase for 1200 borrowers

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:39:48 -0400

In February, Bank of Ireland told 13,500 customers on tracker mortgages it planned to increase the margin on their loans. Photograph: Luke ...

New UK power plants carry low risk for Irish people study says

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:17:42 -0400

The Radiological Protection Institute said that eight new nuclear power plants being built in the UK carry a very low threat to the health of Irish people. The group carried out a study of the potential risks of these plants during their day-to-day operations, and in the event of severe accidents taking place.It found that they hold a risk of one in 33 million per year. However, CEO of the RPII ...

Scientists identify strain of blight responsible for potato famine

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:17:41 -0400

Scientists have identified a unique strain of blight which they believe triggered Ireland's potato famine in the mid-19th century.They have called the strain HERB-1.The deadly famine has been linked to a fungal disease called potato blight, which came to Ireland from Mexico.A team of molecular biologists from Europe and the US reconstructed the spread of the potato blight pathogen from dried ...

Dundon applies to High Court for stay on murder trial

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:17:40 -0400

Limerick man John Dundon has applied to the High Court for a stay on his trial for the murder of Garryowen rugby player Shane Geoghegan.The 30-year-old with a former address at Hyde Road, called a judge at the Special Criminal Court a 'big fat pig' last week after the court ruled that his trial could go ahead as scheduled next month.The trial for the murder of 28-year-old Shane ...

Barrister says proposed legislation will change law and create basis for ending a childs life

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:17:40 -0400

A lawyer has told the final day of hearings on the abortion legislation that the proposed law will legislate for the killing of babies. Lawyers and legal experts are appearing before the committee today ahead of it reporting back to Government. Retired Supreme Court judge Catherine McGuinness and pro-life campaigner Professor William Binchy will express their views.Barrister Paul Brady insisted ...

Survivor recalls events as inquest into TitBonhomme tragedy opens

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:17:38 -0400

The sole survivor of the Tit Bonhomme tragedy off the west Cork coast last year has been giving evidence today at the inquest into the deaths of five men in the incident. The skipper and four crew members died when the trawler sank as it was returning to Union Hall at the mouth of Glandore Harbour in January 2012. The one man who survived - Abdelbaky Mohamed - has recalled being woken by a bang ...

New northern Ireland prisoner ombudsman named

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:17:36 -0400

Tom McGonigle, a Criminal Justice Inspector, is to be the new Northern Ireland Prisoner Ombudsman.The 58,400-a-year appointment was confirmed today by the Justice Minister David Ford. Mr McGonigle takes over from Pauline McCabe at the beginning of next month.Mr McGonigle, 56, joined the Northern Ireland Probation Service in 1980 where he worked in a variety of custodial and community settings.He ...

Search resumes at home of murdered former garda

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:38:19 -0400

Work on excavating the rear patio of a house where gardaí believe a murder victim may be buried has resumed in Cavan. The home at Cornaveigh near Bailieborough belonged to former detective garda John Kerins who was murdered there last November. Two men, both in their 30s, were arrested yesterday in connection with the fatal shooting. They remain in garda custody in Carrickmacross garda ...

UK nuclear accident would have impact on Ireland

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:38:18 -0400

An accident at one of eight proposed new nuclear power plants in Britain would have a socio-economic impact on Ireland, a new study claims. But the report by the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland found that even in the worst accident scenario, health effects on people living here would be limited. The study was commissioned by the Minister for the Environment, on foot of plans by the ...

Novice hurdlers stand out in 2012-13 Anglo-Irish Jumps Classifications

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:31:01 -0400

Jump racing has a collection of potential new star steeplechasers to sustain it in the post-Kauto Star era, according to ratings published on Tuesday. The sport can also take pleasure in a fine crop of novice hurdlers, promising high-quality action in the years to come.The news comes from the 14th annual Anglo-Irish Jumps Classifications, which offer handicap marks for the best horses that took ...

New Prisoner Ombudsman for Northern Ireland appointed

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:25:43 -0400

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has played down suggestions he wants Rafael Benitez to be the club's new head coach and claimed the delegation that visited England on Monday was hoping to secure an exchange deal with Manchester City for Edinson ...

Barrister contests Taoiseach claim

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:25:41 -0400

A leading barrister has rejected claims from the Taoiseach and Health Minister that proposed legislation to change Ireland's strict abortion regime does not alter existing ...

Emigration story by far the most important of modern Ireland

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:21:33 -0400

Waterford cities put together. They amount to about 400,000 people. That's about the number of people who will be absent from the Republic of Ireland in 2026 if things continue as they are going. If emigration remains at the levels it has reached because of economic collapse and so-called austerity, the long-term effect will be ...

Allowing abortion for suicidal women marks change in law committee told

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:21:11 -0400

Barrister Paul Brady says draft legislation creates for the first time a statutory basis in Irish law for what may be a direct and intentional termination of an unborn child’s ...

Water treatment plant workers in Wicklow go on strike

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:21:10 -0400

Workers at a water treatment plant in Co Wicklow have gone on strike after management failed to refer a dispute relating to pay and shift premium payments to the Labour ...

Smoking at home may kill as many as road traffic collisions

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:21:09 -0400

Smoking in the home can generate pollution six times higher than the World Health Organisation's outdoor recommendations. Photograph: Susana ...

New proposals for teachers and nurses as marathon pay talks continue

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:21:08 -0400

Teachers who lose supervision and substitution payments as part of a revised Croke Park II agreement would receive the money back as part of their core pay within five years, under the terms of new proposals drawn up ...

Deaths caused by smoking in home rivals road deaths according to study

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:09:09 -0400

The number of deaths caused by smoking in the home could be as high as road deaths - according to new research led by NUI Galway.The Europe-funded study shows that the concentration of pollution in the homes of indoor smokers is six times higher than the World Health Organisation's recommendation for general outdoor air quality.Children who live in such homes are seen as particularly ...

MEP Paul Murphy rips up property tax form in European Parliament

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:09:09 -0400

An Irish MEP has ripped up his property tax return in the European Parliament. Dublin Socialist Party MEP Paul Murphy posted a picture of the torn up document on twitter this morning. He was reacting to the news that Apple avails of a 2% corporation tax rate in Ireland.In a statement, Paul Murphy said that while major corporations are getting tax deals "the Irish government is engaged in a ...

Harte warning for Donegal ahead of Ulster clash

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:29:31 -0400

Tyrone manager Mickey Harte has warned Donegal of the tough challenge they face in Ulster and beyond after becoming All-Ireland champions. Donegal meet Tyrone in the Ulster SFC quarter-final in Ballybofey on Sunday, and Harte knows only too well how hard it is to continue winning following All-Ireland success. Tyrone were beaten in Ulster following their All-Ireland successes in 2003 and 2005 ...

British court to rule on abortion application

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:12:52 -0400

The British High Court will continue to hear evidence today in a case where it is being asked to decide whether a married 37-year-old woman with a mental disorder is capable of making a decision about terminating her ...

New Croke Park proposals being circulated to unions

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:12:52 -0400

It is understood that key engagements were still taking place between management and unions representing staff in the health and education ...

Government shows nursing unions draft pay cut law in final bid for agreement

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:12:51 -0400

It is understood that key engagements were still taking place between management and unions representing staff in the health and education ...

Tenancy Deposits in Northern Ireland Higher than Earlier Estimates New Figures Show

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:10:38 -0400

BELFAST, Northern Ireland, May 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- New figures released by the Tenancy Deposit Scheme Northern Ireland show tenants are paying higher deposits than previously estimated, at an average 558 per tenancy. ...

Happy new ear campaign demand meeting with Taoiseach

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:01:24 -0400

The parents of deaf children who are campaigning for cochlear implants are demanding a meeting with the Taoiseach Enda Kenny.The Happy New Ear campaign said the Health Minister James Reilly has refused to meet them.The parents want reassurance from Minister Reilly that EUR7m will be ringfenced to pay for double implants.Currently children in Ireland who receive the treatment - only have cochlear ...

Leading barrister says government will need to rethink proposed abortion laws

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:01:23 -0400

A leading barrister said the government will need to rethink the proposed abortion laws when it comes to appeals such as if a woman is refused a termination under the suicide ground. Dr Simon Mills - who drafted his own abortion bill at the last oireachtas committee hearings - is appearing before the final day of hearings on the legislation. The draft heads of the bill allow for an appeal by a ...

Eurovision a ratings hit for RTE

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:01:23 -0400

Ireland may have come last in this year's Eurovision - but it seems the show was a ratings hit for the state broadcaster. An average of over 799,000 people watched the entire three hour show on RT on Saturday night. This beats Jedward's 2012 final, which was watched by an average of 764,000. Viewership peaked when Ireland's entry - Ryan Dolan - took to the stage - with viewer ...

Government urged to clamp down rogue construction operators

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:01:23 -0400

The government is being urged to clamp down on people who are working in construction while drawing the dole.According to the Construction Industry Federation, tax compliant contractors are losing tenders because they are being undercut by rogue operators.The CIF said that the black market economy is damaging the Exchequer and something must be done to tackle the situation.The Federation's ...

Bank of Ireland eases mortgage hikes policy

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:01:22 -0400

The Bank of Ireland today partially backtracked on a steep rise in mortgage rates for customers who thought their repayments were fixed for life.It has written to 1,200 of the 13,500 homeowners facing sharp increases - despite taking out tracker deals linked to the historically-low Bank of England base rate - to tell them they will no longer be applied in their cases.The bank said the Financial ...

Final day of hearings on abortion legislation

Tue, 21 May 2013 05:23:42 -0400

The Oireachtas Health Committee is hearing submissions from legal experts on the final day of its hearings into the Government's proposed heads of the Protection of Life during Pregnancy Bill. Retired Supreme Court judge Catherine McGuinness and Professor William Binchy from Trinity College Dublin are among those who will appear before the committee. It will report to Minister for Health ...

Celebrating 150 years of the Lodge that was born in Belfast

Tue, 21 May 2013 05:21:54 -0400

AS George Chittick and I make our way out of Schomberg House, the Orange Order’s headquarters based at the top of Belfast’s Cregagh Road, I stop to lean in and admire several of the medals adorning his remarkably pristine collarette - which I had described only a few moments earlier as one of the most orange I had ever seen. He explains the symbolism behind them; one was given to him ...

Tobacco smoke is biggest home pollutant in Ireland EPA study finds

Tue, 21 May 2013 05:03:00 -0400

Living in a damp and cool climate, it is not surprising that people in Ireland spend 90 per cent of their time indoors, and the majority of that in their own ...

Danny Healy-Rae set for TV

Tue, 21 May 2013 04:54:22 -0400

Danny Healy-Rae is to be the subject of a German documentary.The Kerry County Councillor came to the attention of the media there, after he called for rural dwellers in isolated areas to be allowed a higher drink-driving limit.The story gained international notoriety after some council colleagues supported his motion to raise the alcohol limit.According to ...

Call for information campaign on new climate change laws

Tue, 21 May 2013 04:54:22 -0400

The head of the Oireachtas Committee on the Environment has warned that new climate change laws need to be introduced in tandem with an information campaign.Hearings are taking place in Leinster House this afternoon where the Government will get feedback on the bill from a range of environmental groups.The new legislation aims to help Ireland become more environmentally friendly and to reduce our ...

Gatland expects Irish pair to be fit

Tue, 21 May 2013 04:14:50 -0400

Warren Gatland expects Leinster duo Brian O'Driscoll and Sean O'Brien to be on board Monday's flight to Hong Kong, where the tour opens against the Barbarians on 1 June. O'Driscoll should play in this weekend's RaboDirect PRO12 final against Ulster after making progress in his recovery from the back spasm that ruled him out of Friday's victory over Stade Francais. ...

Charity targeted by credit card fraudsters

Tue, 21 May 2013 04:14:45 -0400

The Founder of the Jack and Jill Foundation has warned that his charity is being exploited by credit card fraudsters. Speaking to RTÉ's Morning Ireland, the children charity's founder Jonathan Irwin said that the organisation has been forced to return €132,000 in donations within the last 15 months as fraudsters test their latest credit card scam on the charity. Irwin said ...

Sinn Fein accused of hiding abortion talks at conference

Tue, 21 May 2013 04:13:07 -0400

Sinn Fein has been accused of hiding the fact that study days in Ireland which it helped host involved lobbying for abortion to be legalised here. The party issued a press release a week ago to say that its MEP, Martina Anderson, was hosting a "major MEP conference" to discuss topics such as the economy and "challenges for left politics". The week of study days - held both in ...

Drugs crisis organisation call for decriminalisation of drug use

Tue, 21 May 2013 03:48:40 -0400

A drugs crisis organisation is urging the Government to treat drug use as a health issue instead of a criminal one.The Citywide Campaign group are holding a conference in Dublin today, looking at alternatives to our current drugs policies.Among the suggestions being discussed will be the decriminalisation of addiction, but spokesperson for Citywide Anna Quigley said that is not the same as ...

Parents warned about letting their baby sleep in the bed

Tue, 21 May 2013 03:48:39 -0400

Parents are being warned sharing a bed with their baby increases the risk of cot death. A study from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine has found that breastfed babies under the age of three months who sleep in their parents' beds - face a five-fold increased risk of cot death."For the first few months they have the baby in a cot beside the bed so that they can bring it ...

PRESS DIGEST - Ireland - May 21

Tue, 21 May 2013 03:07:50 -0400

Tue May 21, 2013 3:07am EDT These are some of the leading stories in Ireland's newspapers on Tuesday. Reuters has not verified these stories and cannot vouch for their accuracy: THE IRISH TIMES - Apple has used a complex web of offshore entities, including two Irish subsidiaries which it claims are not tax-resident anywhere, to avoid paying billions of dollars in U.S. - The government last ...

Ireland accused of being a tax haven for Apple

Tue, 21 May 2013 02:53:04 -0400

A committee of the US Senate has accused Ireland of being a tax haven for computer maker Apple. The committee said the Irish Government has since the early 1990s negotiated a special tax arrangement with Apple, resulting in it paying corporation tax of less than 2%, and avoiding some $44 billion in US tax over the last four years. The Senate sub-committee led by democrat Carl Levin and ...

Two in custody in connection with murder of Cavan man

Tue, 21 May 2013 02:44:23 -0400

Two men remain in Garda custody this morning over the murder of a man in Cavan last year. 49-year-old John Kerins - a former Senior Detective - was found shot dead at his home in Cornaveagh on the outskirts of Bailieboro on the 9th of November 2012. At the time garda sources indicated they were looking into his links to a gang suspected of involvement in stealing machinery and drug dealing.Two ...

Committee to hear from junior health minister on proposed abortion laws

Tue, 21 May 2013 02:44:21 -0400

The final day of hearings on the proposed abortion laws will hear from lawyers and the junior health minister today. The Committee will then report back to the Government ahead of the final drafting of the proposed new laws. Yesterday psychiatrists differed on whether the coalition should be including the threat of suicide in the law. Last night medical experts outlined their views on possible ...

Inquest to begin into West Cork trawler tragedy

Tue, 21 May 2013 02:44:20 -0400

The inquest is due to open today into the deaths of five men who died when their trawler sank at the mouth of Glandore Harbour in West Cork over a year ago.The Skipper and four crew died when the Tit Bonhomme sank as it was returning to Union Hall on the 15th of January 2012.One man survived the sinking after spending over two hours in the water.The 21 metre long French-made trawler was returning ...

Lengthy talks at LRC on public service pay deal

Tue, 21 May 2013 02:07:50 -0400

Talks have gone on throughout the night and into the morning at the Labour Relations Commission in an attempt to finalise a new public service pay agreement. Representatives of public service management and unions from most sectors have been negotiating since 10am yesterday morning. The parties are understood to be concentrating on the health and education sectors. It is understood that most ...

Looted Irish treasures recovered in England

Tue, 21 May 2013 00:52:41 -0400

They include three 'gun money' coins, the emergency war money coined by James II from 1689-91 to pay his forces to fight William of Orange.The items, including a Bronze Age axe and spearhead and hundreds of medieval coins, will go on display today, then be stored for research.They were recovered after a tip-off from ...

Legal minefield looms if Northern Ireland opts out of new Same-Sex Couples Bill lawyers warn

Tue, 21 May 2013 00:52:41 -0400

A new vaccine is being made available to prevent a disease which causes severe birth defects and miscarriages in livestock, it has been ...

Irish P.M. Enda Kenny applauded at Boston College graduation

Tue, 21 May 2013 00:30:23 -0400

Boston College graduates gave Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny a standing ovation Monday while a small group of anti-abortion activists protested outside. ...

Rugby Rewards re-launches with focus on British Irish Lions Tour

Mon, 20 May 2013 23:34:31 -0400

Australian Rugby is set to launch a Facebook-based Rugby Rewards program which aims to foster team advocacy ahead of the British & Irish Lions Tour. Rugby Rewards is a digital engagement program which recognises and rewards fans for their support for Australian Rugby and the Qantas Wallabies. It was first launched in 2011 as an initiative to capture the support for the Qantas Wallabies ...

Apple called international tax dodger

Mon, 20 May 2013 22:20:34 -0400

A congressional report said U.S. technology giant Apple was using gaps in international tax laws to avoid paying tax on tens of billions of dollars. The report says Apple had moved $74 billion beyond the reach of the IRS from 2009-12 using a variety of loopholes to do so, some of which are used to declare tens of billions of dollars were earned unattached to any country. Apple seems to claim ...

Sentencing in robbery cases ’relatively consistent’ new report by Irish Sentencing Information System finds

Mon, 20 May 2013 21:35:06 -0400

Sentencing in robbery cases has been relatively consistent, with the offence most commonly attracting a sentence of one to five years, according to a new ...

Shatter’s robust defence of Wallace revelation causes unease in Labour

Mon, 20 May 2013 21:34:47 -0400

The robust defence by Minister for Justice Alan Shatter of his revelation that Independent TD Mick Wallace escaped penalty points for using a mobile phone while driving has created some unease within ...

Coalition’s credibility at stake in new pay deal

Mon, 20 May 2013 21:34:46 -0400

Minister for Finance Michael Noonan and Minister for Public Expenditure Brendan Howlin. Tough exchanges between the Government and the troika on a revised Croke Park deal can be expected. Photograph: Alan ...

NUI Galway and charity to run postgraduate cardiology course

Mon, 20 May 2013 21:34:45 -0400

NUI Galway plans to provide postgraduate training in cardiovascular disease prevention in a community partnership with the heart and stroke charity Cro. The new master's course in preventive cardiology will be the first of its type in the State, according to NUIG, and one of only two of its kind in the world. The founder course in this area at ...

Are senior church figures threatening or advising politicians

Mon, 20 May 2013 21:34:45 -0400

Fears around this were evoked during the 1960 US presidential campaign. It prompted JFK's address on September 12th, 1960, in which he said: "I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute - where no Catholic prelate would tell the president (should he be Catholic) how to ...

Catholic hierarchy still on a learning curve in dealing with abortion

Mon, 20 May 2013 21:34:44 -0400

The Roman Catholic hierarchy has formally stated its position on abortion by declaring definitively that the direct and intentional killing of the unborn is immoral. Yet, my dog-eared old Maynooth textbook tells me ...

Charity has to return €130000 of fraudulent payments made through its website

Mon, 20 May 2013 21:34:43 -0400

A Co Kildare-based charity has had to return more than EUR130,000 in donations in recent weeks after its website was targeted as part of a credit card ...

Psychiatrists are being asked to be judges in assessing suicide risk abortion hearings told

Mon, 20 May 2013 21:34:42 -0400

Psychiatrists could be seen to be the "gatekeepers to abortion" if the provision allowing for terminations where a pregnant woman is suicidal is enacted, the Oireachtas health committee has ...

‘Bring manufacturing back to Ireland’

Mon, 20 May 2013 21:32:24 -0400

By Vincent RyanBusiness Reporter Ireland may benefit from the increase in wages in China as a growing number of companies look to bring manufacturing back to their core markets.Hourly wages in China have increased by over 400% since 2001 and, coupled with the time difference and an average shipping time of six weeks, the attractiveness of manufacturing in the East may diminish for some sectors. ...

Irish politics and German filmmaking Crystals new boutique access in Northern Europe

Mon, 20 May 2013 21:23:59 -0400

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Crystal Cruises is expanding its uber-exclusive collection of intimate "Boutique Adventures" during summer Northern Europe cruises with two new experiences in Belfast and Berlin. The shoreside outings - none of which are available on any other cruise line - offer intimate access to Northern Ireland's political leadership and Germany's Soho -- Soho House, ...

Irish treasure to be returned from the UK

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:29:25 -0400

Treasure hunters using metal detectors are believed to have been behind the removal of nearly 900 artefacts from Ireland that have been recovered in the UK. Pictured are 28 medieval silver coins which were recovered by Norfolk Constabulary. Photograph: Ciara Wilkinson / National Museum of ...

€18 million to be spent on Dublin City Council housing repairs

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:29:23 -0400

Dublin City Council receives about 50,000 requests each year from existing tenants seeking repairs to their homes. Photograph: Frank ...

Feminism discussion opens 2013 writers festival

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:29:18 -0400

From left : Una Mullally, journaslist, Shami Chakrabarti, director of Liberty, the civil liberties organisation, and Louise Lowe, theatre director and playwright, on the opening night of the Dublin Writers Festival, at Smock Alley Theatre. Photograph: Eric ...

Cabinet to approve welfare scheme to allow lone parents re-enter workforce

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:29:17 -0400

Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton will bring a memo to Cabinet today on the Social Welfare Bill, which will be published later this week. Photograph: Eric ...

Funeral of man found in farm pit in Co Tipperary

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:29:16 -0400

The daughter of a man who was murdered and left in a farm pit for almost two years yesterday prayed for justice for her father as he was finally given the dignity of a proper ...

Missing woman probably died by drowning - Coroner

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:29:16 -0400

A woman who disappeared in December 2010 after withdrawing EUR60 from an ATM in Dublin and taking a taxi to Howth probably died by drowning, an inquest has ...

New class of drug targets skin cancer

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:29:15 -0400

The first human use of the drug, known as DZ13, was conducted at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney, Australia, but an Irish research clinician was principal investigator in the project. Details of the early phase one trial are published in the current edition of the ...

Doctors differ patients fly and majority in Leinster House give abortion Bill a wide berth

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:29:14 -0400

Jerry Buttimer TD speaks to perinatal psychiatrists Dr Anthony McCarthy and Dr Joanne Fenton outside Leinster House yesterday. Photograph: Gareth ...

Wheelchair user docked disability allowance

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:29:13 -0400

Frank Larkin missed signing on at his local post office in Letterkenny, Co Donegal, after cars were parked illegally in the disabled bay. Mr Larkin (41), who has spina bifida, drove around the town several times but could still not park. He managed to sign on to claim his money the following week. However, this week Mr Larkin, Long Lane, Letterkenny, received a letter from the disability ...

Josef Pavelka ‘remembered with love’ says Ennis priest

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:29:12 -0400

Ennis priest Fr Ger Fitzgerald told mourners last night that Czech national Josef Pavelka (52) was among the poorest of the poor and "is remembered here with love". Fr Fitzgerald was speaking at a service at Ennis Cathedral following the removal of Mr Pavelka's body to the church where he spent much of his time while in ...

Just a dozen nurses to start by June on HSE’s lower paid graduate programme

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:29:11 -0400

So far, only eight graduate nurses have been employed under the controversial two-year contracts on lower pay offered by the Health Service Executive (HSE) though, according to the Minister for ...

Conflict studies institute launched

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:29:11 -0400

IICD ) as part of the peace process.The Institute for the Study of Conflict Transformation and Social Justice at Queen's will allow researchers and political activists from different parts of the world to connect.Mr Ahtisaari said: "In order to really understand the nature of conflicts, we need to invest in thorough, high-quality research and analysis. I'm pleased to witness this ...

Nursing home used CCTV ‘as substitute for supervisory staff’

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:29:11 -0400

Mr Hawkes received a complaint in April last year in relation to the operation of CCTV cameras at a nursing home, which is not identified in the report. It emerged that two directors were monitoring the CCTV system live using ...

New hip replacement therapy halves hospital time says surgeon

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:29:10 -0400

An innovative form of hip-replacement therapy, which cuts time in hospital in half, should be rolled out across the health service, an orthopaedic surgeon has ...

Abortion Bill risks normalising suicide says leading psychiatrist

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:29:09 -0400

The Government's plans to legislate for abortion could have the unintended consequence of pushing more young men towards suicide, according to a leading ...

Three charged over weekend disturbance in Killarney hotel

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:29:07 -0400

The Quality Hotel in Killarney, Co Kerry: At least two staff members received facial and other injuries and a number of garda called to deal with the disturbance also received injuries during an incident involving ...

Still no clear answers as abortion debate goes on

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:29:07 -0400

Regardless of whether you are in favour of or against the planned abortion legislation, it is difficult not to be concerned by the divisions between the professionals on its contents. There was a clear divergence of opinion between the masters of the State's main maternity hospitals when the Oireachtas health committee began its hearings into the legislation last ...

Cantillon Big hitters just keep on winning in legal sector

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:29:06 -0400

Given that most of Ireland's big law firms so assiduously guard even their most basic financial information, outsiders will gratefully seize on any means of gauging how they're faring. One of these is the number of practising certificates at each firm, which gives us a glimpse at the latest hiring trends in the ...

Irish Prime Minister Speaks at Boston College Despite Pro-Life Protests

Mon, 20 May 2013 19:22:08 -0400

The prime minister, or taoiseach, of Ireland gave what some onlookers described as a "rousing speech" at Boston College despite fervent protests from pro-life students and ...

OConnell sings Warburtons praises

Mon, 20 May 2013 19:15:21 -0400

Much has been made of Warburton's age with the 24-year-old becoming the youngest player to lead the tourists for 58 years, but O'Connell was struck by his maturity when the two roomed together during last week's training camp ...

Apple parked billions in Ireland to avoid taxes U.S. Senate

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:26:23 -0400

A customer enters an Apple store on its opening day at Covent Garden in London in August, 2010. An Apple subsidiary in Ireland, a holding company that includes Apple's retail stores throughout Europe, has not paid any corporate income tax in the last five years. The subsidiary, which has a Cork, Ireland, mailing address, received $29.9-billion in dividends from lower-tiered offshore Apple ...

Abortion legislation is most likely to apply to pregnant teenage girls in care psychiatrist says

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:09:35 -0400

Consultant psychiatrist Veronica O’Keane says a patient’s GP should make the recommendation for an abortion and one psychiatrist should assess the suicidal ...

Hospitals turned suicidal people away study shows

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:09:34 -0400

Hospital emergency departments have turned people away who went on to die by suicide, a report based on interviews with families after the suicide of relatives has ...

Meet AOI Apples mysterious Irish subsidiary

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:09:11 -0400

, it's in the southern Irish city of Cork that Apple pioneered its famous "double irish with a Dutch sandwich" -- a tax avoidance technique designed to take advantage of a quirk in Ireland's tax laws that allows foreign corporations to move money around the world tax free. Perhaps anticipating that this is what the senators want to talk about, Apple spent nearly half of the ...

Irish mortgage lending hit fresh low in first quarter

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:04:19 -0400

DUBLIN (Reuters) - The number of new mortgages issued in Ireland fell to their lowest first-quarter level since data was first collected eight years ago, further tempering hopes that house prices would begin to rebound following a ...

Irish Bishops Respond to Abortion Legislation

Mon, 20 May 2013 17:49:49 -0400

Bill "is unnecessary to ensure that women receive the life-saving treatment they need during pregnancy"DUBLIN, May 10, 2013 (Zenit.org) - Here is a preliminary response from the Catholic bishops of Ireland to the Protection of Life during Pregnancy Bill 2013. The statement was published last Friday, May 3.* * *The Catholic bishops of Ireland stress once again the importance of ...

Apple defends Irish operation ahead of US hearing

Mon, 20 May 2013 17:20:01 -0400

Apple has defended the way it manages its tax affairs, including the role played by its Irish operations, ahead of its CEO’s appearance at a US Senate hearing. In ...

Redhead Conventions March Of 1000 Beards Insomniac Golf -- Summer In Ireland Is Back

Mon, 20 May 2013 17:14:04 -0400

The festival season in Ireland is about to take some wonderfully weird turns -- including celebrations of redheads and insomniacs on the links - thanks in part to a governmental initiative ...

Apples Irish arm not a shell company

Mon, 20 May 2013 16:57:54 -0400

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Boston cardinal skips event over Irish PMs role

Mon, 20 May 2013 16:25:29 -0400

Cardinal Sean O'Malley skipped Boston College's commencement today because of the involvement of Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny, who supports a bill in his country that would allow abortion. A few dozen protesters, some playing bagpipes, demonstrated at the college during the morning graduation ceremony. They held signs with messages that included: "Boston College Keep Your Pro Life Values. ...

Apple avoids tax with Irish firms - Senate panel

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:44:06 -0400

The world's most valuable company, Apple, employs a group of affiliate companies located in Ireland to avoid paying billions of dollars in US income taxes, a Senate investigation has found and its chief executive Tim Cook will be questioned tomorrow. Apple is holding overseas some US$102 billion of its $145 billion in cash, and an Irish subsidiary that earned $22 billion in 2011 paid only ...

Warning issued as number of fire deaths in Northern Ireland revealed

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:10:37 -0400

Five people were killed in fires caused by smoking materials during the last year, the Northern Ireland Fire Service revealed today. Crews were called to 811 accidental house fires - 66 of which were a direct result of the careless disposal of cigarettes, matches or other smoking related materials.Smoking in the home while drowsy or drunk was also another major factor in fatal house fires.Dale ...

After hunting a serial killer in Belfast Gillian takes aim at deadly robots in Donaghadee

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:06:54 -0400

By AMANDA POOLE KILLER robots are to launch a bid for world domination in a Northern Ireland seaside town -- with only Scully from The X-Files and a bunch of schoolchildren standing in their way. The invasion starts next month when Hollywood stars Sir Ben Kingsley and Gillian Anderson start filming -- in Donaghadee. The Pounds 14m Our Robot Overlords, due for release in summer 2014, focuses on a ...

Michael Gove suggests Wales and Northern Ireland split off school exams

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:06:14 -0400

GCSEs and A-levels are currently set to the same standard in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, but Michael Gove said it was hard to see how this could continue. Photograph: Chris ...

Actavis Execs May Love NJ But Ireland Has Lower Taxes

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:05:25 -0400

Actavis (Photo credit: Wikipedia) The reasons that Actavis is willing to pay $8.5 billion, including debt, for Warner-Chilcott are fairly straightforward. By doing so, the generic drugmaker limits its exposure to the end of the patent cliff. Compared to the past few years, there will simply not be as many big-selling brand-name medicines losing patent protection, which means generic drugmakers ...

Belfast high schools suspension of teacher shambolic court hears

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:00:56 -0400

A Belfast high school's handling of a complaint against a teacher suspended from some duties has been shambolic and unfair, the High Court heard ...

O’Reilly announced as European ombudsman candidate

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:55:37 -0400

Ombudsman Emily O'Reilly has been announced as an official candidate in the European ombudsman election by European Parliament president Martin ...

Ireland Welcomes Watson Pharmaceuticals an American Success

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:52:49 -0400

TheStreet ) -- Watson Pharmaceuticals, founded by a Taiwanese immigrant in the early 1980s and now a rival to generic drug giants Teva ...

Israeli Occupation Forces Shoot Irish Activist 6 Times 20-5-2013

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:50:05 -0400

PlanxtySumoud -- A very unsatisfactory interview with Keith Finnegan of Galway Bay FM radio station: not once did he enquire into the serious situation in the West Bank, instead, his line of questioning is anchored in establishing my bona fides as a card carrying journalist (non existent) and guilt tripping me with the accusatory "why do I put my life in danger," when the elephant in ...

Bomb made safe after sanitation worker discovers device

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:43:42 -0400

An improvised bomb has been made safe in the Tallaght area of Dublin.A suspect device was found by a sanitation worker near the Tymon Park area of Tallaght this afternoon. The army bomb disposal team put a cordon around the area and made the device safe without the need for a controlled ...

Protests as Taoiseach receives honorary doctorate in Boston

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:43:41 -0400

A small group of demonstrators has gathered outside Boston College in protest at Taoiseach Enda Kenny's presence at the college's commencement ceremony.The Taoiseach is addressing some 3000 new graduates and 20,000 spectators at Boston College this evening - where he has just been awarded an honorary doctorate.Boston Cardinal Sean O'Malley is boycotting the event because he says ...

Males aged 16-20 have higher suicide risk

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:56:41 -0400

A report on suicide in Ireland has found that males between the ages of 16 and 20 are at an increased risk of taking their lives. The authors of the report Suicide in Ireland spoke to 104 families affected by suicide and analysed 12,000 suicide deaths among people under the age of 35. It identified a four-fold increased risk of suicide among young men in the 16-20 age group. It also found that ...

Future city life on display in Dublin technology showcase

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:42:19 -0400

The Voices of Dublin project / installation created by Intel Labs as part of their project to make social media more social at the Mansion House Dublin during the Your Future City digital technology showcase. Photograph: Bryan O'Brien / The Irish ...

Abortion legislation ‘could place young men at risk’

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:41:55 -0400

Oireachtas health committee that by highlighting suicide the State could be seen as legitimising it, sending the wrong signal to young men who are most at risk of ...

Dracula Film To Be Made In Northern Ireland

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:40:16 -0400

Dracula will be the next big-budget Hollywood movie to be filmed in Northern Ireland. Universal Pictures' Dracula, directed by Gary Shore and produced by Michael De Luca, will start pre-production in Belfast immediately. Filming will then begin in August and will last three months, with production based in Belfast with some filming in various other locations across Northern Ireland. ...

Secondary teachers approve industrial action if pay is cut

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:30:13 -0400

Secondary teachers have voted for industrial action in the event that the Government pushes through pay cuts. A total of 87% of the membership of the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland voted in favour of industrial action.However, the union has agreed to enter LRC talks on reviving the Croke Park 2 deal. The ASTI says the ballot reflects the "deep sense of unfairness felt by ...

Almost half of robbers receive sentences of three years or less

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:30:12 -0400

Almost half of all those jailed for robbery are sentenced to three years or less behind bars, new figures show.Eight out of 10 convicted robbers are handed down jail sentences of less than five years.A study of cases that came before the courts over the past three years reveals significant variations in penalties for the crime, depending on the severity of the circumstances.While minor robberies ...

US drugmaker Actavis buys Irish firm for $8.5bn

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:53:40 -0400

DUBLIN (AFP) - US drugs company Actavis on Monday agreed to buy Irish peer Warner Chilcott for $8.5 billion (6.6 billion euros) including debt, in a bumper takeover that creates a key global player."Actavis, Inc. and Warner Chilcott plc today announced they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Actavis will acquire Warner Chilcott plc in a stock-for-stock transaction valued at ...

Hollywood to film Dracula in Northern Ireland

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:50:17 -0400

A Hollywood movie based on the Dracula story is to be filmed in Northern Ireland. The multi-million dollar feature film will also have an Irish-born director. The movie will be made by Hollywood-based Universal Pictures. It will tell the story of the man who became Dracula, the vampire character invented by author Bram Stoker who came from Clontarf in Dublin. Another Dubliner Gary Shore, who ...

Report shows sentencing for various crimes

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:50:17 -0400

Four out of every five convicted robbers were sentenced to less than five years in prison, according to a new report on sentencing issued today. The report shows almost half of those imprisoned were sentenced to three years or less, another 30% were sentenced to between three and five years, while one in ten were given up to ten years in prison. The report also shows that the offence of so ...

Irelands Ryanair reports 13 rise in annual profits

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:47:15 -0400

(MENAFN) Ryanair's CFO, Howard Millar, announced that Europe's largest budget carrier's net profits climbed by 13 percent in the year ended March to USD730 million, reported Reuters.Millar said that at year-end, the Irish airline had net cash of USD78.29 million despite having returned nearly USD641.80 million to shareholders in November.Meanwhile, average fares rose by 6 percent ...

Voluntary community efforts honoured by Loughborough University

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:46:56 -0400

The University presents the TS Shipman Prize and Hannah Community Prize annually to recognise and reward its students who have taken part in community ...

Pilkington out of Ireland squad

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:45:01 -0400

Anthony Pilkington has pulled out of the Ireland squad for their upcoming summer games under the advice of Norwich's medical team," a statement from the FAI said."Anthony will undergo treatment on his knee over the coming weeks in preparation for the season ahead. There has been no replacement called up."The 24-year-old - who qualifies via his Dublin-born paternal grandmother ...

Belfast bookies fail in court bid to block rivals shop extensions

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:39:47 -0400

A man arrested at the scene of a £200,000 cannabis factory claimed he was only there to carry out concreting work, the High Court heard ...

Dracula to be filmed in Northern Ireland

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:39:46 -0400

Dissident attacks are likely to occur in Northern Ireland during the G8 summit despite the presence of thousands of extra police officers, the commander of the security operation has ...

Anti-abortion activists protest at Taoiseach’s attendance at Boston College

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:35:27 -0400

Taoiseach Enda Kenny visited a memorial in Copley Square near the finish line of the Boston Marathon to lay flowers today. Photograph: ...

Alcohol mental illness and bullying leading causes of suicide says study

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:35:23 -0400

Prof Kevin Malone at launch of a new suicide research report, 'Suicide in Ireland 2003-2008'. Photographer: Dara Mac Dnaill/The Irish ...

Actavis buys Irish rival for $A8.76bn

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:27:51 -0400

US pharmaceutical company Actavis has agreed to buy Irish rival Warner Chilcott for $US8.5 billion ($A8.76 billion) in an all-stock takeover, creating a global giant focused on women's health, gastroenterology, urology and ...

G8 summit sparks biggest police operation in Northern Irelands history

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:26:31 -0400

Police put up a security fence at the Lough Erne golf resort in Fermanagh before the G8 summit starts. Photograph: Police Service of Northern ...

Judge tells teen drug dealer Plant flowers or risk jail

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:23:31 -0400

A young offender, who was caught with EUR675 worth of cocaine, has been told he must spend the next six months planting flowers if he wants to avoid a sentence.The 16-year-old boy had pleaded guilty at the Dublin Children's Court to possession of cocaine for sale or supply to another. He was caught with the drugs at Sundrive Road, in south Dublin, on July 18 last.The teenager had five prior ...

Celebritys file accessed 80 times on Garda database

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:23:30 -0400

A celebrity was looked up more than 80 times on the internal garda database, it has emerged.The Data Protection Commissioner revealed a second high-profile personality had their file accessed 50 times on the Pulse system, with the details of another three personalities and a GAA star also checked for non-official police business.Billy Hawkes said the celebrities - who were recorded as witnesses ...

Irish bank deposits drop 1.4 percent in April

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:23:02 -0400

DUBLIN | Mon May 20, 2013 12:23pm EDT DUBLIN May 20 (Reuters) - Deposits held by Ireland's locally-owned banks fell 1.4 percent in April, data from the country's finance department showed on Monday. Deposits at Bank of Ireland, permanent tsb and Allied Irish Banks Group fell by 2.4 billion euros ($2.8 billion) to 153.4 billion euros, the largest monthly fall in almost two ...