Nurse’s strike: INMO recommends acceptance of Labour court proposals
The INMO Executive Council has urged its members to accept Labour Court proposals aimed at ending the nurse’s dispute.
Three consecutive strike days, due to be held this week, were suspended after the Labour Court intervened on Monday.
The INMO (Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation) will now hold a series of briefings across the country, to inform members on what is contained in the proposals.
The briefings will be held over the coming weeks with a ballot to take place between the 11th and 25th March.
Three Gardaí facing possible disciplinary action over Shane O’Farrell death
Three Gardaí are facing possible disciplinary action over the circumstances leading to the death of cyclist Shane O'Farrell.
The 23-year-old was knocked off his bike and killed in a hit-and-run incident in County Monaghan in 2011.
The driver of the car had numerous previous convictions - and had been released by Gardaí despite being arrested over other offences while on bail.
In the Seanad this evening, Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan said the Garda Ombudsman (GSOC) had now completed a disciplinary investigation into the actions of the force in the run-up to the death.
Varadkar says decision to offer free cervical re-checks came from the heart
The Taoiseach has said the Government’s decision to offer free smear test re-checks came from the heart rather than the head.
The Government has also admitted that it failed to take all the facts into account before offering the re-checks.
The decision has led to a backlog of 78,000 tests with women having to wait up to 27 weeks to get a result.
In the past, it took four to six weeks to get a result – however, the current average wait is more than 13 weeks.
Harris labels Sinn Féin no confidence motion a “Parliamentary stunt”
The Minister for Health has accused Sinn Féin of performing a "Parliamentary stunt" withs its motion of no confidence in him over the spiralling cost of the National Children’s Hospital.
Minister Simon Harris has been defending his handling of the cost overruns in the Dáil this evening.
Under questioning from opposition TDs, he said the Government “will not be found wanting” when it comes to acting against anyone found responsible for the €450m overspend.
He faced stiff criticism from the opposition but insisted a review of the process that is being carried out by PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) must be allowed to complete its work before action is taken against anyone.
Declan Rice declares for England
Premier League footballer Declan Rice has confirmed his decision to play international football for England, after representing Ireland three times.
The 20-year-old West Ham midfielder announced the decision on Twitter this afternoon.
He played three senior international matched for Ireland – and represented the country at underage level.
Rice’s star has been rising in recent months – with a string of top class performances in the Premier League.
