The Health Service Executive is to implement 130 million euro of cost saving measures before the end of this year – in an effort to cut its budget deficit, which now stands at €259million .

Agency staff will be cut by 50%, overtime by 10%, home help hours by 5.5% and it also plans to make savings of €26.5million on medical equipment and furniture.

The HSE says every effort is being made to target areas that don’t impact on patient services – however, some disruption is inevitable.

The HSE National Director of Integrated Services, Laverne McGuinness says some direct patient services will also be cut:

/> Politicians are coming out in support of almost 400 former workers at Target Express – who lost their jobs after the company stopped trading on Monday.
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/> The staff were briefed today by the provisional liquidator, appointed to the company by the High Court last night.

Both the housing minister Jan O’Sullivan and the communications minister Pat Rabbitte have today said the treatment of the workers is unacceptable.

And Sinn Féin Councillor, Maurice Quinlivan – who met some staff at Target’s depot in Limerick today – says all they want, is what they’re owed:

/> The Tánaiste’s refusing to say if the Labour Party remains pro-choice.
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/> Eamon Gilmore is also refusing to state if he supports the abolition of the Seanad.

An expert group is due to report next month on how to deal with a European Court Judgement on the x case.

But today the Tanaiste was staying tight -lipped on what the Labour Party position is in relation to abortion:

The High Court has ordered the detention of a Portuguese-flagged cruise ship at Dublin Port over an alleged fuel debt of nearly $100,000.
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/> The veteran liner, the Princess Danae, can carry up to 570 passengers and was scheduled to set sail to La Rochelle in France at 7pm this evening.

Our Courts Correspondent Francesca Comyn reports:

An anonymous collector has paid out £19,000 for a half bottle of 223 year old cognac.
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/> In the same sale  in the Netherlands a buyer bought an 182 year old Remy Martin for £12,900.

The cognacs were bought from the largest selection of vintage cognacs and rare liquors in the world which is on sale for £6million.

The collection was started by Dutchman Bay van der Brunt who doesn’t even drink liquors

And who started his collection as a young man against his father wishes.

But he says it’s proved to be the best financial investment he has ever made.