Strike action expected in Health Unions

Molly Hutchinson
22nd April 2009

At a meeting with HSE Senior Management yesterday morning, the Irish Nurse's Organisation (INO) stated that “the draft Circular proposing severe staff cutbacks to the public health service, was totally unacceptable and would be vehemently opposed".

The cutbacks announced plans to stop the renewal of over 14,000 contracts in the health sector. The INO announced yesterday that this would affect over 6,000 nursing jobs including 700 full time staff nurses.

INO general secretary Liam Doran and Impact national secretary Kevin Callinan said they strongly refuted HSE claims that front line services would not be affected.

Liam Doran said, “The staffing cuts proposed by this draft Circular would render the delivery of safe care, to patients and clients, impossible."

"Local managers would no longer have the authority to ensure safe and adequate staffing levels and, furthermore, would be threatened with disciplinary action if they did not adhere to the terms of the Circular," he added.

He continued by saying “While the INO recognises the severe financial challenge facing the government in managing the public finances, we will not accept, or cooperate with, the introduction of staffing cuts in frontline services which will inevitably cause unsafe practice and a reduction in the quality of care available to patients".

Junior Minister Cuts Announced

Oisin O’Callaghan
22nd April 2009


A new smaller team of junior ministers was unveiled yesterday afternoon by the Dáil as it resumed after the Easter break.

Taoiseach Brian Cowen put his list to the Cabinet at its meeting yesterday morning. The number of junior ministers has been reduced from 20 to 15, in an effort to reduce government spending.

“In these difficult economic times, everybody has been asked to make sacrifices and it is appropriate that those in positions of leadership set a strong example,” said Cowen.

The members cut from the original 20 are Noel Ahern, Sean Power, Maire Hoctor, Mary Wallace, Michael Kitt, Jimmy Devins and John McGuinness. TDs Áine Brady and Dara Calleary have been promoted to minsters.

There was speculation that Mr. Cowen would make further cuts. This was partially fuelled by criticism from Fine Gael that not enough was being done and that the number of ministers should actually be reduced to 12. In the end no additional cuts were made.

The biggest surprise of the decision was the dropping of Mr McGuiness who had one of the highest profiles and was widely regarded as an effective minister.

The Labour Party have criticised the government on the weakness of this move, claiming that it will have little to no effect on the problems facing the country

Martin hoping to speak with Bolivian Foreign Affairs Minister

Bolivian police claim the Tipperary native, Michael Dwyer, was one of three men killed in a hotel shoot-out with them on Thursday over an alleged plot to assassinate President Evo Morales.

Emma Kelly
22nd April 2009


Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheal Martin is hoping to speak with his Bolivian counterpart today about the death of Michael Dwyer.

Minister Martin wants to establish the facts surrounding the killing of Dwyer last Tuesday in Bolivia. The 24-year-old from Tipperary, along with three others, was shot by police in Santa Cruz. The Bolivian authorities claim that Dwyer was involved in a plan to assassinate President Evo Morlaes.

Dwyer’s father Martin backs Minister Martin’s decision to call for an inquiry.

“We spoke to Micheal Martin ourselves yesterday. He phoned and we stated to him that we would like to have some answers. . . I think it's a good idea having the inquiry. Hopefully something will come out of it then and try and clear his name," said Martin.

Minister Martin has said he will fully co-operate with the Bolivian authorities in investigating the matter.

Cold blooded execution of Irishman Michael Dwyer in Bolivia - His Parents speak out

Labour starts EU campaign

Jemma Curran
22nd April 2009


Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore has announced that it would like to increase the party’s representation in Europe in the next election.

The party, which only has one Minister of European Parliament (MEP) at this time, is hoping for an increase to four MEPs.

Unveiling the candidates for the June 5th election, Mr Gilmore said these would be the most important European elections Ireland had ever had.

He said Ireland's future "depends crucially" on what happens in Europe and that Labour, together with its sister parties in the Party of European Socialists (PES) would campaign on a platform “that is about jobs and fairness”.

“Europe is facing its worst economic crisis since the 1930s. More than 19 million Europeans are now unemployed, and the number is rising. In February alone, half a million Europeans lost their jobs,” Mr Gilmore added.

Nessa Childers is running in the East constituency; Alan Kelly is running in the South; Susan O’Keeffe in the North West and sitting MEP Proinsias De Rossa is running in Dublin.

Mr Gilmore said he was proud of the candidates the party was putting forward. “They are people of calibre and integrity. People who are passionate and committed. People who will be a strong voice for Ireland in Europe.”

Mr Gilmore said Susan O’Keeffe, a campaigning journalist was “a person of outstanding courage and integrity”. Nessa Childers came “from a family with an unrivalled record of public service”. Senator Alan Kelly, the party’s Seanad finance spokesman, had campaigned vigorously on the jobs issue, he said.

And Mr Gilmore said if anyone wanted to know why it matters who sits in the European Parliament, they should look at the record of Proinsias De Rossa.

Mr De Rossa said that by winning extra seats, Labour and its sister parties across Europe could be the largest political group in the European parliament and in “a powerful position to take Europe in the new direction developing progressive social, economic and environmental policies which puts jobs and justice at the top of the political agenda”.

New Rehabilitation Programmes for Sex Offenders

Conor Hughes
22nd April 2009


Sex offenders serving prison sentences may be able to avail of early release in return for participating in therapy programmes.


The new programme was introduced by Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern earlier today.

The Government is also to establish a new centre at Arbour Hill Prison to accommodate sex offenders, Ahern said.

The measures are included a new policy aimed at reducing the likelihood of sex offenders reoffending once they have completed prison sentences.

Announcing the policy today, Mr Ahern said that it had been designed to ensure that high risk sex offenders “will not simply serve out their sentences without engaging with relevant services.”

A phased approach to implementation of the new programme is expected over the next six months.

In the policy are new initiatives to increase the range and availability of therapeutic interventions and the establishment of a new sex offender unit in the prison service to monitor sentence planning and liaise with other relevant agencies.

In addition to the new Arbour Hill centre, two satellite centres to accommodate sex offenders are also to be established at the Midlands and Wheatfield Prisons.

While individual therapy will continue to be offered to offenders, a new group-wide rehabilitation programme, entitled ‘Building Better Lives’, is also to be introduced at Arbour Hill to replace the Sex Offender Programme which was initiated in 1994 and concluded last year.

About 60 prisoners are expected to take part in the programme each year with the hope that the majority of sex offenders who are serving sentences of at least 12 months will participate.

Under the new programme, offenders who are close to ending their sentences may be transferred to open prisons and even get early release under supervision.

Such temporary release would be subject to strict conditions, including participation in appropriate community-based interventions and electronic monitoring, Minister Ahern said. He added that decisions in individual cases will take full account of the concerns of victims where known.

O’Connell has learned from 2005

Paul O'Connell prepared to lead a 37 man Lions squad in South Africa this summer

Graham McEnroe
22nd April 2009

Newly appointed Lions captain Paul O’Connell insists that he has emerged from the calamitous 2005 Lions tour a better player.

O'Connell will lead the 37 man Lions squad in South Africa this summer, when the cream of British and Irish talent attempt to erase memories of four years ago.

Speaking yesterday, O’Connell recalled his experience of those events, where the Lions were embarrassingly whitewashed by New Zealand.

“It was an experience in 2005. Luckily I've gone on since that tour to have a successful career,” said O'Connell.

“Clive tried something different by taking a lot of players and coaching staff. On paper it was probably a good idea because it's such an attritional game now," he said, referring to the latest Lions coach Clive Woodward.

Head coach Ian McGeechan chose O’Connell over his closest rival Brian O’Driscoll, because he will be operating at the coalface against the ever-physical Springboks.

“The important thing was having a real focus in the forwards,” said McGeechan. “Paul's had a fantastic Six Nations. He's a strong character and has a huge amount of respect which is important.

"It was important to look at the dynamic of the Lions in South Africa and Brian understood that”, said the Scotsman.

This could be an inspired move by McGeeghan, as every successful Lions teams in South Africa since the end of the Second World War, have been lead by a lock.

However with the world champions being massive favourites, O’Connell’s Lions will need more than omens to bring victory.

Exclusive footage from the adidas Lions photoshoot with comment from Paul O'Connell on the upcoming tour to South Africa

South African general election to challenge government

Alannah Hill
22nd April 2009

South Africans vote in a national election today with the ruling African National Congress (ANC) facing its toughest test since the end of apartheid 15 years ago.

South Africans have been queuing to vote in what is likely to be the most competitive general election since the end of apartheid 15 years ago.

The ANC is expected to achieve a fourth straight win but it could lose its two-thirds majority in parliament which allows it to change the constitution. The ANC defeated white minority rule in 1994 under Nelson Mandela and, if successful, will make its leader Jacob Zuma president weeks after he was able to get corruption charges dropped on a technicality.

But the party faces an unprecedented challenge from opposition parties hoping to capitalize on frustration over corruption, poverty and crime. If they lose their majority they lose their right to change the constitution and entrench its power further.

"We are entering a post-liberation era. People are talking about new issues and challenges and there's also a new generation that's not attached to the liberation struggle," said independent political analyst David Monyae.

Among its rivals is a new party, Congress of the People (COPE), formed last year by a group who split from the ANC after ex-President Thabo Mbeki was replaced as leader.

Some 20,000 polling stations are being used for more than 23 million registered voters. Polls close at 21.00 local time (19.00 GMT).

Shortly after the ANC president had cast his vote, South Africa's first democratically elected president, Nelson Mandela, arrived at a voting station in Houghton, Johannesburg amid tears and ululations. The 90-year-old was greeted by a frenzied scene of photographers and journalists.


Al Jazeera's Jane Dutton is reporting on South Africa's general elections. She sent this update from downtown Johannesburg, the capital of South Africa