The economy is again dominating the news with the latest Exchequer returns turning out to be even worse than in recent months, and the number of people out of work rising to a ten-year high. The situation was considered so bad that the Government had to be seen to respond and on Wednesday it announced that details of this year's Budget will be presented seven weeks early.

Northern politicians are still at loggerheads over the issue of devolving responsibility for policing and justice from Westminster to Stormont. The expectation of the Irish and British governments, that the matter would be resolved by an assurance that the IRA army council was no longer active, seems to have been over optimistic.

Co-operation between the gardaí, the PSNI and Dutch authorities led to the seizure of 41 handguns and drugs worth more than €4m, as well as a number of arrests here in Ireland. It also had the spin-off effect of leading the Dutch police to a cache of 165 guns and the breakup of a gang wholesaling arms to criminals throughout Europe.

With the schools reopening after the summer break we had a continuous flow of education-related stories and for no reason in particular we had a continuous flow of alcohol-related stories.

Kilkenny won the Liam McCarthy Cup for the third year in a row and in the process showed no mercy to a Waterford side that had reached its first All-Ireland hurling final in 45 years. The final score was 3-30 to 1-13. A day earlier the Irish soccer team picked up all three points in their opening World Cup qualifying game with a 2-1 victory over Georgia, in what was an away fixture but was played in Germany. At the same time the Northern team went down 2-1 to Slovakia in Bratislava.

Economic downturn – now it's serious

The latest exchequer returns, published on Tuesday, show the economy to be in even more serious trouble than had been acknowledged to date. Tax income in August was 20% lower than anticipated, leading to a €2.8bn shortfall for the year to date. Reduced consumer spending resulted in VAT showing the biggest deficit – it is currently €1.177bn short of the Budget forecast. Slower property sales left stamp duty €480m short of the desired figure and capital gains tax was down by €436m. Only income tax came close to achieving the target announced in last December's Budget but it too was down by €150m.

The accelerating decline in tax income is now expected to result in a full year shortfall of some €5bn. Two months ago the revised Government prediction was €3bn.

The Cabinet met on Wednesday for the first time since the summer break and the exchequer returns were the main topic of discussion. Afterwards, in a Government statement, it was announced that the Minister for Finance will present his Budget for 2009 on October 14, some seven weeks earlier than usual. This, it was claimed, "will reflect the necessary prioritisation of expenditures in the light of expected tax revenues" and will aim to "give clarity and confidence to investors and taxpayers alike, and provide a sound basis for economic recovery".

An early Budget does little in fiscal terms, it is widely viewed as a message that the Government is taking the situation seriously and remains in control. Tax decisions announced on October 14 will take effect on January 1 in the same way that they would had they been announced in December. The only exception will be adjustments to excise duties; these normally apply from midnight on the day that they are announced.

More bad news came on Wednesday when the Central Statistics Office published the latest Live Register data. This showed that the number of people out of work took another jump upwards in August with an additional 9,144 signing on. The total number unemployed now stands at 247,384, an increase of 73,178 on August of 2007. There was no shortage of doomsayers reminding us that this was the biggest annual increase since records began 41 years ago and that the number claiming benefit was at its highest in more than ten years. Few of them bothered to put the statistics in context by also reminding us that the number of people at work is over two million, a figure that no one would have believed possible ten years ago.

The standardised unemployment rate is now estimated at 6.1%. Once again those signing on for the first time in August were mostly males - 81%. The August increase was, however, not quite as big as the increases in June and July.

It was against this backdrop that Taoiseach Brian Cowen held separate talks with employers and unions on Friday to see if there was any point in resuming negotiations on a new national wage deal. After two hours of talks it was agreed to begin a week of intensive negotiations starting today, in an effort to broker a deal.

It had been just over a month since the talks broke down, with a significant gap between what the unions and the employers considered reasonable. With the further deterioration in the economy in the intervening period it is quite likely that the unions now wish they had accepted what was on offer in early August. On Thursday the European Central Bank called for an end to the practice, in all eurozone states, of linking pay increases to the rate of inflation. At home the general view, outside the trade union movement, is that we require an immediate pay freeze and recruitment ban in the public service.

Appearing on the Late Late Show on Friday Taoiseach Brian Cowen tried to cheer us up by assuring that the economy was basically healthy and that the country was in a much better position to deal with the current challenges than it had been when faced with problems in the past.

IRA Army Council "serves no function"

There had been much speculation as to the findings of the International Monitoring Commission in relation to the status of the IRA army council. The Irish and British Governments had requested a report on the matter in the hope of easing the alleged fears of the DUP, which has made the standing down of the IRA controlling body as a pre-requisite for devolving policing and justice to Stormont.

The IMC's report, when it was published on Wednesday, turned out to be somewhat more emphatic than had been speculated in the media. It said that the IRA army council no longer operates and serves no function. In explaining this a member of the IMC, Lord Alderdice, acknowledged that it hadn't formally stood down. He also acknowledged that its members were still alive, that at least some of them were active in Sinn Féin and that no doubt they would bump into each other in bars and other places from time to time. They did not, he insisted, convene as a body for any purpose.

This was definitive enough to prompt British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Northern Secretary Shaun Woodward to call for the devolution of policing and justice to the Stormont Executive. Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern made a similar plea

Predictably it did not satisfy DUP leader and First Minister Peter Robinson who wants further proof that the IRA army council no longer exists. The report did, however, lead to a two-hour meeting between Mr Robinson and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness which they later described as "useful".

Major weapons and drugs seizure

An Garda Siochána, working in close cooperation with the PSNI and the police in Holland, on Tuesday had another major success against Dublin's drug gangs. Customs officers on both sides of the border were also involved.

When a car was stopped near Dublin Airport gardaí found 27 firearms, including four machine pistols, various types of ammunition and accessories such as silencers. Also seized were 20kg of heroin and 10kg of cannabis herb worth an estimated €4.2m. A 42-year-old Co. Tipperary man was arrested.

At around the same time the PSNI were searching a Belfast hotel room where they found a further 14 weapons and arrested a Dublin man. It is widely reported that this man was connected to John Gilligan's drug gang and that he is a "close associate" of Brian Meehan, who was jailed for life for his part in the murder of Veronica Guerin; he drove the motorcycle used to transport the killer to and from the scene. It was widely reported that Meehan was actually the mastermind behind the importation of the drugs and weapons.

In the early hours of Wednesday gardaí involved in the operation made two further arrests. Two men, both Irish nationals in their 30s, were detained in Birr and Roscrea. These men were later released but Thomas Mulqueen (42) of Borrisokane, Co. Tipperary appeared before Blanchardstown District Court on Thursday charged with possession of drugs and was remanded in custody.

On Saturday Paul Meehan (34), with an address in Sallis Park, Dublin, appeared before Belfast Magistrates Court where he faced a long list of charges relating to the possession of firearms, importing drugs, possessing criminal property (almost €250k in currency), and possessing almost four million contraband cigarettes.

It wasn't until Thursday that we learned that the Dutch police were also active on Tuesday. They arrested three men and a woman during a raid on an Amsterdam office building which yielded 165 guns and a large quantity of assorted ammunition. It would appear that this was the source of the guns found in Ireland and the warehouse was used by a supplier of firearms to criminals across Europe. The three men detained were Dutch nationals and the woman was from Brazil.

According to the Irish Times intelligence picked up by gardaí not only thwarted the importation of a large number of firearms destined for Irish criminal gangs but led to an operation which became "one of the most successful against gangland gun-running anywhere in Europe in recent years".

FÁS controls again being questioned

FÁS, the State's training and employment agency, has been under fire on a number of occasions recently over the manner in which it controls its annual budget of more than €1bn. During the week the Irish Times reported on an internal audit report, a copy of which it obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.

It focused on a €19m in-company training programme, describing it as "out of control financially". The audit team found that advances were often given to contracted training bodies without proper justification, leaving the agency at financial risk. It was also critical of the accounting method used to record the advances and of the level and nature of the monitoring to which the contractors who delivered training programmes were subject.

Some weeks ago FÁS came under media and political scrutiny when it emerged that FÁS procurement procedures had been ignored, and its advertising agency bypassed, when Greg Craig, director of corporate affairs, spent €200k in advertising with a local newspaper in a Dublin suburb. Mr Craig has been on sick leave since the matter became public earlier this year.

FÁS director general Rody Molloy defended his organisation, saying that whatever criticisms the internal audit team had it had not detected any loss of funds. He did reveal that, separate from any of the issues already in the public domain, a discrepancy had appeared elsewhere and gardaí had been asked to investigate a possible fraud.

The INTO's cup is always half empty

Last year at this time one of the big stories was the lack of places for four- and five-year-olds entering school for the first time. Many of those affected were the children of recently arrived immigrants living in the greater Dublin area. The Government was determined that this would not happen this year and to that end fast-tracked 26 brand new schools, each of eight classrooms or more. A total of 7,000 extra places were provided. The Irish National Teachers' Organisation wasn't impressed and complained that 100,000 pupils would be in classes of more than 30.

The Irish Examiner noted the number of new schools on page nine of Monday's edition. A day later it carried the banner headline "Back to school... in sheds and corridors". This accompanied a report on the problems being experienced by a school in Ennis and another in Clonakilty.

Later in the week it emerged that an audit of special needs assistants is underway. A sixty-fold increase in the number of special needs assistants in schools over the last ten years, from 300 to 18,000, has led to the Department of Education initiating a value for money audit; the service at present costs €300m each year. The audit will be carried out in 100 schools, including 20 special schools.

We learned more about the new schools later in the week when it emerged that, regardless of size or number on the roll, each school was allocated just €6,348.69 for equipment. That strange figure equates to five thousand punts but was probably set in the days before a school might require a photocopier or classrooms would need computers, a television screen, DVD player, video recorder and other material. Minister for Education Batt O'Keeffe admitted the figure was inadequate but didn't see himself in a position to increase it in the current economic climate. In reporting this story RTÉ found one school principal who had spent €2k of his own money on necessary equipment.

Drink makes news most days

Dublin City Council plans further restrictions on the sale of alcohol in the hope that this will reduce the level of drinking in public spaces and consequently the number of public order incidents.

In future the density of off-licences in particular areas will be limited; grocery stores or shops attached to garages can use no more than 10% of floor space for the sale of alcohol; and it will no longer be permissible to advertise special offers on alcohol outside the door of the premises.

In a separate development, An Garda Siochána on Tuesday put on display for the media some 1400 cans and bottles of alcohol confiscated over the course of three recent weekends. Under the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2008, which came into effect on July 30, gardaí have the power to seize alcohol from under-18-year-olds or from adults who are drinking in a public place.

Later in the week former PD leader Michael McDowell pointed to a loophole in recently implemented laws concerning the purchase of alcohol. He noted that an under-age person in possession of a credit card could order drink by phone from a supermarket and have it delivered. Mr McDowell suggested that such loopholes were due to legislation on alcohol being enacted in a piecemeal fashion.

Bits and Pieces

Armed raiders target Co. Tipperary post office

Two raiders, armed with a handgun and a hammer, threatened staff in the post office at Cloneen, near Fethard, Co. Tipperary and escaped with an undisclosed sum of money. The incident happened at around 9:00am on Tuesday and the robbers made their getaway on motorcycles.

Gardaí arrested two foreign national and recovered two shotguns on Tuesday night when a car was intercepted on the Portlaoise bypass, some 30 minutes after an armed robbery was reported in Mountrath. Shortly after 10:00pm two armed men entered a filling station and held up staff before escaping with an undisclosed sum of money.

Details of individual EU farm payments to be made public

From September 30 the Department of Agriculture will make public details of all EU farm payments to individual farmers. This is the result of an EU directive to which the Irish Government was the sole dissenter. Such details have been published in the North and Britain for the past three years with no known adverse effects, but that did not stop some Opposition TDs from expressing the utmost indignation in denouncing the scheme.

Labour's Willie Penrose and Fine Gael's Michael Ring were the most vocal. The latter was particularly concerned that criminals would be looking up the lists to see which farmers to target, although in the past we have been told that the subsidies were modest except for those going to the very big landowners who would already be known to be well off.

New armed Garda Regional Support Units deployed

As of Wednesday new armed Garda Regional Support Units are on duty in Cork and Limerick in a pilot programme that could see similar units assigned to each of the five regions outside Dublin. RSUs will patrol as regular uniform Gardaí, performing normal policing functions on a daily basis throughout the region. In the event of a critical incident (eg hostage situation or firearms incident) the RSU officers will change into tactical dress and will have access to firearms.

Another arrest in Quinn case

Gardaí investigating the murder of Paul Quinn on October 22, 2007 on Thursday arrested a 50-year-old man in Dundalk. This was the 11th arrest on both sides of the border in recent weeks. The 21-year-old Co. Armagh man was lured to a remote farm building in Co. Monaghan and beaten to death. His family have accused members of the IRA of murdering him.

Belarus bans children's visits

Belarus has announced that it will no longer allow children suffering from the after effects of the Chernobyl disaster to visit Ireland for a holiday or medical treatment. For many years some 1,000 Irish families have been taking children affected by Chernobyl into their homes for a holiday and many receive treatment in Irish hospitals while here.

No reason has been given for the decision and Adi Roche of the Chernobyl Children's <Project, who is appalled at the development, has asked the Government to intervene. The Department of Foreign Affairs says that it already has staff at the Embassy in Moscow talking with the Belarusian officials.

Coins to celebrate Polar Year

The international Polar Year is being marked with two coins to recognise the achievements of Antarctic explorers Ernest Shackleton and Tom Crean. Irish artist and medallist Thomas Ryan has designed the €5 silver proof coin and the €100 gold proof coin, which depict the two explorers and also have the traditional harp, surrounded by a laurel wreath. The coins will be issued in limited editions, separately and as two-coin sets, for sums far above their face value.

Early retirement for first woman assistant commissioner

Catherine Clancy, who in 2003 became the first woman to be appointed as assistant commissioner in the Garda Síochána, has announced her retirement from the force five years before she would be required to retire on age grounds. Ms Clancy's retirement follows that of former assistant commissioner Tom King 11 years ago, the last early retirement from this rank.

Eight arrests at Shell pipeline in Mayo

Eight protesters who tried to disrupt work on the Shell gas pipeline project in northwest Mayo were arrested on Thursday evening. Attempts had been made to stop preparatory work taking place for the burying of the pipe where it comes ashore at Glengad beach.

Six of those detained were from Britain and two from Ireland. Earlier in the week it was reported that most of those involved in the latest protests are foreign nationals with a history of protesting.

Gardaí in Galway discover explosives – arrest five

On Saturday gardaí in Galway seized 17.5kgs of commercial explosives during an operation in the Oranmore area of the county. A quantity of explosives was found when a car was stopped and searched and the remainder was discovered in a house in Rinville. The seizures arose as a result of an ongoing operation against organised crime. Four men and one woman, aged from 25 to 33, were arrested. Three arrests were made when the car was stopped and the other two were detained in Headford.

Snippets:

Ireland is now considered one of the best countries in Europe for recycling newsprint. Latest figures show that 161,000 tonnes or 73.8% of newspapers are now being recycled here, up from 28% in 2002.
On Tuesday afternoon a two-seat Condor aircraft crashed at Colehill, Co. Longford, less than two miles from Abbeyshrule aerodrome from where it had just taken off. The pilot and passenger were taken to hospital where they were said to be comfortable.
Photographs of Taoiseach Brian Cowen standing beside Ireland's Olympic boxers were a feature of Thursday's newspapers. The five boxers, three of whom brought home medals, called to Government buildings on Wednesday.
If you are ready to start your Christmas shopping just visit any Brown Thomas department store where a section will have been set aside to sell artificial trees, decorations and other Christmas items. The goods went on display in the past week.
What is thought to have been a malicious fire caused extensive damage to the former oratory at the disused industrial school complex in Artane in north Dublin last night. The building had recently been renovated and was used to store instruments and memorabilia belonging to the Artane Boys' Band.

Ireland Today: The bride sang at her own wedding

We were honoured ten days ago to have been guests at the wedding of our former webmaster Deirdre McFadden from Clarinbridge and Eric van der Zee from Oranmore. The marriage ceremony took place in the Garrison Church in Renmore, Galway and in a most unusual twist Deirdre, an accomplished singer, gave a beautiful rendition of the psalm. Her dad Noel was the singer of the other hymns during the Mass. In their time Noel and Deirdre have sung at many wedding ceremonies in and around Galway.

National Lottery Winning Numbers:

Wed: 1, 8, 12, 17, 18, 22 (6) - jackpot of €2m was not won.
Sat: 8, 17, 30, 33, 36, 43 )42) - jackpot of €2.82m was not won.

Northern News

Belfast agog at shaggy dog story

On Monday night the PSNI in Belfast applied considerable resources, including a helicopter, in response to a report that a lion had been seen on the prowl in the north of the city. More than one witness had reported seeing a sandy-coloured lion-like animal in the Upper Hightown end of Cavehill Park. It has since been established that the animal was a dog.

Coleraine man withdraws appeal over dog-killing

William Streeter (29) from Coleraine, Co. Derry has been sent to jail for six months after withdrawing his appeal against the sentence handed down in July. Streeter was found guilty of battering and killing a golden retriever belonging to his estranged wife, Alison McMonagle, and of threatening to kill her; when confronted by police after the dog's remains had been unearthed, Streeter claimed the dog had hanged itself.

Few visitors recorded in South Armagh

Figures released by Newry and Mourne District Council suggest that people are still reluctant to visit South Armagh, known during the Troubles as "bandit country". While the tourist office in Newry received 1,600 visits and Warrenpoint 1,512, Crossmaglen recorded only 24 in the entire month of July. Reports failed to say how the staff of the Crossmaglen tourist office passed the time.

PSNI release photos of eight wanted men

As part of Operation Heartbreak, PSNI have carried out more than 100 arrests in the greater Belfast area and have also issued photographs of eight men whom they describe as "hardened criminals". The men are Brendan Hughes, Colin Taggart, Darren Clarke, Martin McDonagh, Michael O'Connor, Paul Austin, Sean Skelly and Steven Fegan; seven are wanted in relation to burglaries while Sean Skelly is unlawfully at large after failing to return to prison.

Belfast and Down show biggest drop in house prices

Figures available from the website propertysnake.co.uk have revealed that Belfast and Down have suffered most from falling house prices in the current collapse of the housing market. In one instance the asking price of a house at Grey Point in Co. Down fell from £1.25m to £995k in May, and fell again to £795k in August, while the price of a two-bedroomed apartment in north Belfast fell by £95k to €135k in eight months. The properties in question have still to be sold

Two-year sentence for serial car thefts

Daniel Doran (20) from Divismore Park in Belfast was given a two-year jail sentence when he appeared at Craigavon Crown Court on charges of car theft, resisting arrest, assaulting a constable, burglary and theft. The court heard that Doran had been part of a gang who stole an SUV from a house they had burgled, later stole a car in Lurgan and Doran finally managed to temporarily escape by driving off in the police car which was involved in apprehending him.

Solicitor charged with incitement to murder

Solicitor Manmohan "Johnny" Sandhu, with an address in Derry, has appeared in court on a series of charges, including incitement to murder, as a result of the PSNI covertly recording his conversations with loyalist paramilitary clients who were in custody. He is also charged with conspiring to pervert the course of justice by using his position as a solicitor to inform members of a paramilitary organisation of the progress being made in a criminal inquiry.

Senior DUP politicians in decommissioning talks with UVF and UDA

DUP leader Peter Robinson, deputy leader Nigel Dodds, and MPs Sammy Wilson and Jeffrey Donaldson met separately with senior members of the UDA and the UVF/Red Hand Commando on Thursday to discuss a range of topics including decommissioning. Mr Robinson reported that the response from both organisations had been positive.

Murder inquiry after baby dies

The PSNI launched a murder investigation after 14-week-old Cameron Leslie died in hospital on Saturday. The baby, from the New Mossley estate in Newtownabbey, had been admitted to hospital on Thursday with serious injuries. Cameron's father, Ryan Leslie (24), was arrested on Saturday and is due in court today.

Road deaths in Counties Tyrone and Down

John Rafferty (57) from Galbally, near Dungannon in Co. Tyrone was killed at around 4:00am on Monday when he lost control of his car at Castlecaulfield, Co. Tyrone.

A two-vehicle accident on the Ardglass Road in Downpatrick, Co. Down on Saturday night resulted in the death of local man Michael Molloy (36). His partner is in a serious condition in hospital and their three children, aged six, four and one, suffered non-life-threatening injuries. A 35-year-old man was arrested and will appear in court today.

Other news:

From Monday last it became illegal in the North to sell cigarettes or other tobacco products to people under the age of 18. The law came into effect in Britain last October, and in the South four years ago. The new legislation has been introduced with the aim of reducing the incidence of smoking among young people.
In two separate incidents Tyrone fans returning from the All-Ireland semi-final in Dublin last Sunday came under attack on their way through Armagh. Seven people in a limousine were pelted with stones and bottles, while a window was broken on a bus carrying fans. No injuries were reported.
One man was arrested following the seizure of two lorries, pumping and storage equipment and 20,000 litres of diesel in a border area of South Armagh on Tuesday. Police and customs officers carried out the raid, which uncovered a multi-million pound fuel-laundering operation.
Christopher Sell (21) was shot in the legs when five gunmen broke into the house of his grandmother in the Twinbrook area of Belfast on Tuesday. One of the raiders held Alice Sell downstairs while the other four went up to the room where they found her grandson and his girlfriend. Police are investigating the shooting.
Wendy Houvenaghel made a triumphant return to the village of Upperlands in Derry on Wednesday after winning a silver medal at the Beijing Olympics in the women's 3,000m cycle pursuit. Wendy, who now lives in Cornwall, is the daughter of Phillip and May McLean.
Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde has confirmed his belief that the report from the Independent Monitoring Commission, that the IRA has effectively ceased to exist, is accurate. He continued that the report's findings were the most that could be expected, short of the IRA personally announcing that it had ceased to function.
Former Irish Olympic coach Keith Burns, who is already serving a two-year sentence for indecent assault, has received another 2.5 year sentence in relation to the abuse of a second girl athlete. Burns, from Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh, has also been placed on the sex offenders' list.

The Courts

Family pays gang for drug debt

After drugs were seized by gardaí from the home of Robert Corbett (18) in Ballincurra Weston in Limerick, the gang for whom he was holding the cannabis demanded and received twice its value in compensation from the youth's family. This emerged in Limerick District Court on Thursday when Corbett, who suffers from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, appeared before Judge Tom O'Donnell. The judge requested a probation report and adjourned the case until November 5.

Employment & Industrial Relations

Jobs at risk at Cappoquin Chickens

A receiver has been appointed at Cappoquin Chickens which employs 150 full-time and 100 seasonal workers in west Waterford, and is the main outlet for many poultry breeders in the south east. The long-established company, owned by the O'Connor family of Cappoquin, is one of the country's largest poultry processors but it is known that it has been experiencing difficulties through higher grain prices and increasing competition from imports.

That news broke late last Sunday and since then there has twice been speculation that new owners were waiting in the wings but so far there is no solid news.

Freightquote to locate European HQ in Dublin

Freightquote, a leading online freight services provider, has established its European Headquarters in Sandyford, Dublin, where it will create 100 new positions over 12 months. Freightquote provides a web-based freight management solution that allows clients to access freight carrier options online and book various modes of freight transportation (domestic trucking, parcel, air and ocean freight).

Nightshift enquiry jobs go to Asia

Ten people have lost their jobs following the outsourcing to the Philippines of the night-time directory enquiry services of Conduit. The ten people at the company's Dublin office are to be laid off later this month, leading to fears for the jobs of the 120 day-time staff at the 11850 enquiry service. The switch to Manila was undertaken on a trial basis in June and Conduit has now decided to make it permanent.

Politics & Politicians

Taoiseach joins EU talks on Russia

Taoiseach Brian Cowen and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin were in Brussels on Monday for a meeting of EU leaders and foreign ministers. The summit was called to discuss what sanctions, if any, should be imposed on Russia over its action in Georgia, and its recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states.

Some rejected Lisbon Treaty fearing conscription would follow

Later in the week Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin was in Avignon in France for a meeting of EU foreign ministers at which he appeared to have discussed Ireland's rejection of the Lisbon Treaty. Speaking to journalists outside the meeting he revealed that fear of conscription was a significant factor among those who voted No. The loss of a permanent Irish commissioner was also mentioned frequently among the No side. The government has been analysing the No vote before deciding on what action to take in its wake.

Some of those campaigning against the Treaty had raised fears about conscription but if it was a real possibility the No vote would have been 90% plus. Under Lisbon there would be no Irish commissioner for five years in every 15, but that would also be the reality for the other 26 member states.

2.5% pay increase for politicians and senior civil servants

Our politicians received a pay increase on Monday as the final phase of the previous national pay agreement. For TDs the increase was €2,500, which was enough to bring their salary above €100k. Judges, senior civil servants, government ministers, and senators also received the 2.5% increase, which for the Taoiseach amounted to €7k and brought his salary up to €285,582.

Obama looks for Irish support

US Presidential candidate Barack Obama is seeking to ensure the support of Irish America by establishing a team of advisors on Irish issues. The seven-man team includes former Senator George Mitchell and six leading Irish American politicians; Senators Edward Kennedy, Chris Dodd, and Patrick Leahy, Congressmen Richard Neal and Joe Crowley, and Governor of Maryland Martin O'Malley.

We already have been told of Barak Obama's Irish links which go back many generations, as do John McCain's. Sections of the media here have also noted Joe Biden's Irish antecedents, his mother was a Finnegan, but no one here yet appears to have delved into Sarah Palin's Irish links although her mother was a Sheeran.

Repatriation proposal shot down

Fine Gael TD Leo Varadkar came in for criticism on Thursday when he suggested that unemployed foreign nationals should be offered a cash incentive to return to their homeland. The amount of money involved would be the equivalent of unemployment benefit payments for a specified period, probably three to six months.

The criticism from Fianna Fáil TD Thomas Byrne was fierce although Mr Varadkar spoke of voluntary repatriation and said that he was putting forward a discussion point and not a proposal.

Health

RTÉ dramatises Neary actions at Drogheda hospital

A two-part dramatisation on RTÉ television entitled "Whistleblower" was highly commended and generated much debate. It sought to depict what happened in the maternity department of Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda when Michael Neary was obstetrician there. The programmes effectively depicted the personal tragedies experienced by women who had their wombs removed through unnecessary Caesarean hysterectomies. Some also had their ovaries removed. Neary had operated unnecessarily on around 200 women before a whistleblower was finally listened to. He was struck off the medical register in 2003.

Cervical programme now operational

Under a new government-funded programme all women aged between 25 and 60 can avail of free cervical screening with effect from today. Under CervicalCheck, samples will be taken by participating family doctors with the actual testing being subcontracted to a commercial US laboratory.

Travel & Tourism

Barrier-free tolling working

The barrier-free tolling of the M50 passed its first major test by allowing traffic to flow freely on Monday, the first working day and school day on which the system was operational. It would seem that the system is continuing to work successfully as it quickly dropped out of all news reports. It had been anticipated that the demolition of the toll booths would lead to delays for a week or two but the delays, if any, have not been newsworthy.

Hilton's presence in Limerick turns out to be brief

Limerick's Hilton Hotel will, from this week, revert to the name Strand Hotel. What was once Jurys Hotel on the Ennis Road became the Strand Hotel after it changed hands in 2004. Some 18 months ago the Hilton Group agreed to rebrand and manage it but that deal has come to a mutually agreed end and the owner of the property, John Lally of Lalco, will again take responsibility for managing the hotel.

Wrong way round the Ring of Kerry

Early in the week much was made of a story that foreign-owned coaches often tour the Ring of Kerry by travelling in the wrong direction. There is an unwritten rule that buses and trucks should drive in an anti-clockwise direction so that they do not meet with other large vehicles on what are often very narrow roads. It seems too that the tunnel cut into the rock on the Killarney-Kenmare road is more easily negotiated if approached from the Moll's Gap side.

The problem is being blamed on "Sat Navs" which suggest a clockwise direction and Kerry County Council has been asked to talk with the makers of satellite navigation systems to re-programme their units. Councillor Tom Doherty also called for the erection of multilingual signs to inform drivers of the convention.

Clare fundraising scheme draws criticism

A scheme to raise funds for the Cliffs of Moher visitor centre by allowing people or companies to have their names attached to viewing platforms, in exchange for €500k, has been criticised by Fine Gael councillor Msrtin Conway. Lesser sums were requested for names to be placed on slabs, on benches and on facilities in the interpretative centre. Mooted two years ago, the scheme has so far failed to elicit a single benefactor. Cllr Conway has said that the whole scheme needs to be re-visited.

Taxi inspections cause two-hour strike

When gardaí and members of the Commission for Taxi Regulation carried out an inspection of taxis at Dublin Airport on Thursday their method of work caused a protest by the taxi-drivers, who staged a two-hour work stoppage. The taxi-drivers claimed that the inspections were stopping them making a living, as they were being carried out at the front of the queue when the taxis were about to pick up fares; they felt that the inspections should have begun as the taxis joined the end of the rank. Concerns about cloned taxi plates and licences had led to the inspections.

Aer Arann to take over Ryanair route

From November Aer Arann is to take over the Cork-Glasgow Prestwick route from which Ryanair is to withdraw at the end of October.

Aer Arann has also been granted the PSO licence to operate the subsidised route between Knock and Dublin but this prompted Ryanair to raise questions. It believes that its rejected offer to operate the route would have saved the State money.

The Irish Abroad

Neil Lennon assaulted in Glasgow

Celtic coach Neil Lennon, who stopped playing international soccer for the North in reaction to ongoing sectarian abuse, was the victim of a sectarian assault in Glasgow on Monday morning. The Lurgan native was found unconscious on a Glasgow street shortly after he left a friend in a bar to walk home.

A spokesman for the club said, "We can confirm that while walking home alone last night, Neil Lennon was the victim of a serious assault by two men. The assault came after Neil was subjected to sectarian abuse. It is understood that during the course of the attack Neil lost consciousness. He was then taken by ambulance to hospital where his injuries were treated and he was later released".

Reward doubles for arrest of 'Whitey' Bulger

The FBI has doubled the reward on offer for information leading to the arrest of James 'Whitey' Bulger. The 78-year-old Boston Irish criminal, who has been on the run since 1995, remains on the US ten most-wanted list and now has a price tag of $2m on his head. He is wanted in connection with at least 19 murders and numerous other crimes.

Injured Corkman remains in a coma in Sydney

Corkman David Keohane (29) remains in a coma in a Sydney hospital more than four weeks after he was beaten by muggers while walking home to his apartment. Police have video footage of two of his assailants but have yet to make an arrest. His family in Cork are raising funds to bring David back to Ireland and are staging an event in the Commons Inn Hotel in Cork on September 20. Last week a fundraiser was held in Sydney. Donations can be made to the David Keohane Recovery Fund at Ulster Bank, sort code 98-54-88, a/c no. 10152307

Boy rescued from pool recovers consciousness

It was reported on Thursday that Jake Howe (4), the Tallaght boy who was taken unconscious from a hotel swimming pool on the Spanish holiday island of Ibiza two weeks ago, has woken from a medically induced coma. Doctors decided that Jake, a triplet, was stable enough to breath on his own. The plan was to keep him in the children's intensive care unit for another period.

Taoiseach to help in search for missing teenager

After meeting Taoiseach Brian Cowen for an hour at Government Buildings on Thursday the mother and stepfather of missing teenager Amy Fitzpatrick said that he had promised to do all he could to help in the search for her. The 16-year-old disappeared on January 1 while walking home from a friend's house in Andalucia, Spain.

Son sees "dead" father on television

John Renihan, who believed he had cremated his father John Delaney five years ago, recognised him immediately when his photograph was shown on a television programme dealing with missing persons. The 71-year-old, who emigrated from Co. Laois in the 1960s, had been living in a care home in Oldham in the Greater Manchester area for the past eight years; he was suffering from amnesia and had been unable to identify himself.

When the badly decomposed body of a man was found in Manchester five years ago a coroner concluded that it was that of Mr Delaney. There is now a mystery as to the identity of that man. Mr Delaney had not initially been reported missing as he had been living rough after the breakdown of his marriage.

Irishman killed in Afghanistan

A member of the British Army killed by a roadside bomb while on foot patrol in southern Afghanistan on Thursday was named as Justin Cupples (29), an Irish citizen serving with the Royal Irish Regiment, most of whose members are from the North. Ranger Cupples was born in Miami and once served in the US Navy. He came to live in Ireland as his parents had earlier returned to their home in Virginia, Co. Cavan.

Genealogy lecture at Bethpage Public Library

Joseph Coen, archivist for the Diocese of Brooklyn, will deliver a lecture entitled "Genealogy-related Records of the Brooklyn Archdiocese" at Bethpage Library on September 20 at 11.00am. Preceding this lecture, at 10.00am, a Help Session for those researching their Irish ancestry will take place. See http://www.ifhf.org for full details.

Conservation & The Environment

Eco-friendly disposal of batteries now being catered for

Anyone who sells batteries of any type must register with a body called the WEEE Register Society Ltd and must also accept old batteries for recycling. WEEE is the acronym for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment and comes from an EU directive which is helping to ensure that most old electrical appliances are now disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner. Different parts of the country have different ways of dealing with such waste but here in Galway the City Council is using one of its yards to place separate containers in which the public can dispose of items such as computers, televisions, kitchen equipment, light bulbs, batteries and cables.

Action needed to prevent water shortages

According to Forfás, the advisory body on science and enterprise, action is required if Dublin, Galway, Athlone and Letterkenny are not to experience water shortages by 2013. As both Athlone and Galway have unlimited sources of water on their doorsteps I presume the answer is to increase the processing capacity. Dublin, it seems, will soon have to resort to desalination or pipe water in from the Shannon, an option which has already met with opposition from angling and boating interests. I'm not sure what options are open to Letterkenny.

Locals' access to Ashford castle curtailed

People living around Cong in Co. Mayo claim that the new owners of Ashford Castle are preventing them from entering the castle grounds, a right they have traditionally enjoyed. Galway company Edward Holdings, owned by property developer Gerry Barrett, is reputed to have paid €50m for the hotel earlier this year.

After a community meeting it was agreed to stage a protest at the gates of the castle on Saturday. This prompted a statement from Edward Holdings in which it was claimed that the closure of the grounds was necessary under health and safety legislation, while construction work was taking place. It went on to say that a meeting with local residents would be welcome to facilitate discussions on how access could be maintained during the construction phase.

Entertainment & The Arts

Late Late Show marks opening of Wexford Opera House

Despite speculation that Pat Kenny might not be hosting the new season of the Late Late Show he was in his customary chair when the chat show returned to the airwaves on Friday night. The show did not, however, come from the usual Dublin studio but from the new Wexford Opera House.

The €33m Opera House in Wexford, built on the site of the old Theatre Royal, was officially opened on Friday by Taoiseach Brian Cowen. The main auditorium will seat between 780 and 864, depending on whether the orchestra pit is used, while the smaller theatre, named after the late Jerome Hynes, seats 175. Described as the first custom built opera house in this country it has all the grandeur expected of such a venue inside but its exterior manages to fit in with the traditional Wexford streetscape. This year's Wexford Festival takes place from October 16 to November 2.

Back to the Late Late Show itself, RTÉ is without a sponsor for the show for this season. For the past two years it was sponsored by the Halifax bank, in a deal thought to be worth €1.3m per year. This year it will have to survive on regular advertisings fees. The fact that Pat Kenny was hosting the programme would seem to indicate that he had agreed a new contract, although he was still in negotiations at the beginning of the week.

Film premiere of Irish author's bestseller

The world film premiere of "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas", the bestselling book by John Boyne, took place at the Savoy cinema in Dublin on Thursday. Translated into 35 languages, the book tells the story of Bruno, the son of a Nazi commandant, and Shmuel, a Jewish boy held in a concentration camp. The film has earned the plaudits originally accorded to the book.

Deaths

Last weekend's road victims named

Daniel Whelan (24) from Nurney, Co Kildare was the motorcyclist who died in a collision with an SUV near Monasterevin ten days ago.
The 70-year-old pedestrian who was killed in a traffic accident in Tramore, Co. Waterford last Saturday evening was named as Margaret Kelly, from Roselawn in Tramore.
Susan Wall (23) was the victim of a single vehicle accident at Kilmacomma, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary last Sunday.
James Griffin (28) of Lixnaw, Co. Kerry was the motorcyclist who died last Sunday in a collision with a tractor on the Listowel to Abbeyfeale road.

Road deaths in Counties Tipperary, Meath, Cork, Dublin, Donegal, Limerick, Sligo

Andrew McGrath (31), from Clonmel, last Sunday night became the sixth person to die on our roads over last weekend when his motorcycle crashed in the Co. Tipperary town at 10:40pm. Four of the weekend's fatalities were motorcyclists.
Denise Goode (36), of Glencarraig, Sutton in Dublin, lost her life shortly after 9:00am on Monday when the car she was driving went out of control and crashed into a lamppost on the M1 at Gormanstown, Co. Meath.
Four-year-old Kelvin Purcell died in hospital in the early hours of Tuesday from injuries he received the previous Friday when he was struck by a truck while playing on a skateboard near his home at Ardcullen, Hollyhill in Cork.
A 13-year-old boy was fatally injured at around 1:20pm on Thursday when he was struck by a van on the N81 Blessington Road in Tallaght.
When the garda press office reported that a man in his early 20s was killed in a road accident at Muff, Co. Donegal at around 1:00am on Friday, it also made it known that the Garda Ombudsman Commission was investigating the incident. According to the Irish News, the victim, Paul McMonagle (22), was a passenger in a car driven by his father which crashed while being chased by gardaí through the village of Muff on the Derry-Donegal border. He had been living away from his Derry home after a death threat from the Real IRA. Mr McMonagle was shot in the ankle by the INLA three years ago, and had recently been cleared of any involvement in a case of indecent assault in Derry.
A 56-year-old man lost his life shortly after 4:30am on Saturday when the car in which he was a passenger crashed into a tree outside Galbally, Co. Limerick.
A two-car collision near Ballinafad, Co. Sligo at 11:30pm on Thursday resulted in the death in hospital on Saturday of local man Michael Henry (77), who was driving one of the cars.

Business News

Superquinn may change hands again

Rumours that the Superquinn supermarket chain is for sale have been denied by a spokesman for the owners, Select Retail Holdings. He did agree that talks were taking place with a number of parties who made unsolicited enquiries about the possible purchase of the group. According to the Irish Times the initial approach came from the British-based Sainsbury. When word of those contacts became known Irish wholesalers Musgrave and BWG, the Wal-Mart-owned Asda and two other groups also expressed an interest.

Developers offer interest-free loans to boost property sales

Two property development companies are offering interest-free loans to help potential buyers of houses and apartments who cannot raise the necessary deposit. With building societies and banks generally offering to loan no more than 80% of the price of a house or apartment, Bernard McNamara's firm Radara is offering an interest-free loan of 30% of the price of the property. This loan will become payable in full after five years. In the case of Glenkerrin Homes, owned by Ray Grehan, the loan is for 15% of the price and is payable after seven years.

The Financial Regulator is inquiring into the schemes as he feels that they may require his approval.

McNamara to pay for pulling out of building projects

Developer Bernard McNamara is to pay €1.5m to Dublin City Council as a result of pulling out of the five social housing regeneration projects in the inner city. The original breakdown of the agreement arose when he was unable to get planning permission for the size of the proposed developments and in July Mr McNamara pulled out of the first two projects, in Inchicore and the north inner city. Under a mediation agreement with the council he has now pulled out of the other three.

Weather

August sets wrong type of weather records

Met Éireann issued weather statistics for August which show that the wrong type of records were set in different parts of the country. Dublin Airport, the Phoenix Park in Dublin, and Birr, Co. Offaly all had record rainfall for the month. In the case of the Phoenix Park, rainfall has been recorded since 1837.

Hours of sunshine during the month were also well down on the average. The shortfall ranged from 20% to 40%. Mean air temperatures were marginally higher than usual but the highest temperature recorded during the month was a modest 23.9C at Cork Airport on August 28th.

More flooding on east coast

Here in Galway it was a week in which we had periods of bright sunshine and longer periods of very heavy rain. Friday started dull in the west while heavy rain and strong winds in the east and south of the country resulted in more flooding around Dublin. The weekend was quite autumnal with sunshine on Saturday and Sunday overcast but dry.

More heavy rain is forecast for the coming week and flooding is a possibility as the ground is already saturated.

Latest Temperatures: Day 17C (63F).................Night 12C (54F)

S P O R T

G.A.A.

All Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final

Kilkenny 3-30 Waterford 1-13

All Ireland Minor Hurling Championship Final

Galway 0-13 Kilkenny 3-6

Ladies Football Semi Final

Cork 4-18 Tyrone 0-11

Soccer

World Cup Qualifiers Group 8

Georgia 1 Ireland 2
Montenegro 2 Bulgaria 2
Cyprus 1 Italy 2

World Cup Qualifier Group 3

Slovakia 2 N Ireland 1

Setanta Sports Cup

Drogheda Utd 3 Dungannon S 0
Cliftonville 0 Cork City 2
Derry City 2 Glentoran 0
Linfield 1 St Pat’s Ath 1

Eircom Premier Division

Sligo Rovers 0 Bohemians 1
Finn Harps 2 UCD 0
Cork City P Derry City P
Drogheda Utd P Cobh Ramblers P
St Patrick’s A P Galway Utd P

Rugby

Magners League
Connacht 3 Ospreys 16 Edinburgh 15 Munster 20 Ulster 9 L Scarlets 16 Cardiff 16 Leinster 16

Golf

McIlroy falters at the end

Rory McIlroy looked to be on his way to his maiden European victory at the Omega Masters in Switzerland but was beaten at the second play-off hole. He should have won it in regulation play but bogeyed the 18th, missing a five foot-putt to slip back level with Jean-Francois Lucquin. A birdie by Lucquin at the second play-off hole gave the Frenchman the title. McIlroy finished on –13 with the only other Irish competitor Peter Lawrie finishing on –5.

Harrington loses sparkle in St Louis

Pádraig Harrington disappointed at the BMW Championship in Missouri finishing near the back of the field. His three-over par total was 18 strokes behind winner Camilo Villegas.

Faldo's judgement questioned over Clarke omission

There was a great deal of adverse comment, here and elsewhere, on European Ryder Cup captain Nick Faldo's decision not choose an in-form Darren Clarke as one of his two wild cards. Faldo opted for Paul Casey and Ian Poulter.

No one appears to have any quibble about Casey being included but questions are being asked about the selection of Poulter who, against all expectations, opted not to play in the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles over last weekend. A top-five finish would have seen him qualify for the team on merit. Instead he headed for Boston to take part in the Deutsche Bank Championship and failed to make the cut.
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