national

National News Briefs - UPDATED

Report sparks calls for abusive prison officers to be removed

There are calls for prison officers who abused young offenders in St Patricks Institution to be identified and removed from their positions.

It follows a damning report on the youth detention centre by the Inspector of Prisons, which found the human rights of young offenders were ignored or violated.

The Minister for Justice Alan Shatter and the Children's Minister Frances Fitzgerald have expressed shock at the report's findings and say measures are being taken to ensure the issues do not arise again.

Liam Herrick of the Irish Penal Reform Trust has called for individual Prison officers who abused young inmates to be removed.
______________________

Councils to set property tax rates - Hogan

LOCAL AUTHORITIES will in time be given powers to set their own property tax rates in order to generate funds to support provision of services in their areas, Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan has said.

The development, announced by the Minister at the publication of a programme of local government reform, would give county councillors power to set the tax at a level that meets financial needs. This was the case under the domestic rates system that was abolished in 1977.

“Property tax will become more and more the source of income for local authority services to be funded,” said Mr Hogan. “If they are raising the money locally for service provision, they will have a say in how they spend it. Each local authority can have a different level of property tax in due course. The timing of that is a matter for Government.”
________________________

DAA's €55m pension offer puts Aer Lingus under pressure

WORKERS AT the State-owned Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) could receive pension payments on retirement of 78 per cent of their final salary under an improved proposal presented to trade unions.

These pensions would be among the best offered in the State to any worker, although the proposal would result in a reduction in benefits for certain grades of DAA staff.

The move is likely to put the DAA at odds with Aer Lingus, which is seeking to hold the maximum payout in the jointly operated scheme at 66.7 per cent of final salary.

The DAA’s latest proposals are aimed at resolving the €748 million deficit in the Irish Airlines (General Employees) Superannuation Scheme (IASS) pension scheme operated jointly with Aer Lingus and SR Technics.
________________________

Fans' anger as FAI poised to sack Giovanni Trapattoni

THE writing was on the wall for Giovanni Trapattoni as Ireland manager when fans unfurled a 'Trap Out' banner in the north Atlantic island despite our 4-1 win over the Faroe Islands.

The stance of the influential away supporters is telling, as the FAI prepare to meet within days to discuss the future of the under-fire boss. FAI board members are due to meet later this week where it's expected the majority will agree to sack the manager.

At one stage last night it appeared Trapattoni's future was at an end when he cancelled the traditional post-match press conference in Dublin. It later emerged that the 73-year-old has an ill sister in Milan, and he wanted to be with her instead.

Nonetheless, Trapattoni seemed resigned to his fate in the post-match interviews when he said it was "no problem" if the FAI asked him to leave.
____________________________

Chinese have an interest in Haughey's €7.5m Abbeville

A HOST of international investors including some from China have viewed former Taoiseach Charles Haughey's north Dublin mansion which went on sale for €7.5m last May.

Selling agents Savills said viewers from China, the US, UK and Ireland have all taken tours of the extensive property in recent months, and that a "number" of offers had been made.

But agent Pat O'Hagan said none had been accepted because they failed to meet the reserve price.

The property will probably be sold as corporate headquarters, he said, or perhaps redeveloped as a hotel or nursing home.

Abbeville was sold in 2004 to Manor Park Homebuilders for €45m but the company is in the process of being wound up and it is being sold on behalf of the receivers, Kavanagh Fennells.
_____________________________

Banks told to 'do a deal' on struggling mortgages
    
THE banks must do deals with tens of thousands of homeowners struggling to pay their mortgages, the country's most powerful civil servant has demanded.

Our economy will end up crippled for years unless banks grapple with the thorny issue of mortgage debt write-offs, Department of Finance secretary general John Moran said.

Householders who are "hopelessly" in debt, with no chance of getting on top of the situation, need to have debt written off, Mr Moran warned.

He told bankers at the annual conference of the Irish Banking Federation that households with "unsustainable debts" they simply could not repay were a drag on the economy.

His intervention came after blistering criticism of the banks by senior Central Bank regulator Fiona Muldoon, who accused them of being like spoiled teenagers and being "in denial" about the extent of the mortgage crisis.
__________________________

Shatter to take household charge and fines from wages and dole

PEOPLE who do not pay the household charge will have fines taken straight from their wages or social welfare payments.

The Cabinet has given Justice Minister Alan Shatter the go-ahead to draft the Bill needed to put in place the new system for collecting court fines.

The Fines Amendment Bill will allow the authorities to recover fines from the wages or social welfare payments of people who have refused to pay the €100 household charge.

It means that there will be no need for the courts to send people to jail if they refuse to pay fines of up to €2,500 for non-payment of the household charge.

Judges will instead be able to impose 'attachment orders' on people's wages or order a deduction from their weekly social welfare payments. The bill is due to become law next year.
__________________________

Man held after raid at Traveller halting sites

One man has been arrested after six vehicles, suspected stolen goods and €20,000 of cannabis was recovered in raids on two halting sites.

The Traveller housing areas in Ronanstown, west Dublin, were searched as part of a multi-agency operation.

Officers from several Garda units, the Criminal Assets Bureau, Revenue and social welfare division also took part in the swoops.

The arrested man was taken in for questioning at Ronanstown garda station.
________________________

Noonan confident ahead of Troika report

Finance Minister Michael Noonan has said that he is confident Ireland will again pass the latest review of our bailout by the Troika.

Minister Noonan said that the eighth review, which began yesterday, will show that more than 160 targets have been met since the bailout commenced.

He said that his department is preparing new forecasts, but that growth this year will be "somewhere in the region" of the 0.7% previously predicted.

Minister Noonan also said that despite some Government spending not being under control, the Budget promises to the Troika will be kept.

"While there are spending pressures in health and social protection, I remain confident that we can meet this year's 8.6% of GDP deficit target," he said.

"What is clear also, however, is that we continue to spend far more than we collect in revenue.

"Closing this gap further in the years ahead presents a very real challenge to policymakers, but we must remain steadfast in our commitment to reduce the deficit to below 3% of GDP."
_____________________________

Parents voting Yes in referendum 'would be betraying their children'

A number of groups have today officially launched their campaign for a No vote in the Children's Rights Referendum.

Parents For Children, the Christian Solidarity Party and the Alliance of Parents Against the State are urging people to reject the constitutional amendment.

They say a ratification of the referendum on November 10 will give too much power to the State, which they say has previously failed to protect young people.

Maria Mhic Mheanmain, a spokesperson for Parents for Children, said that a Yes vote will actually weaken the rights of children by undermining parental power.

"We believe that a parent voting in favour of this amendment is being hoodwinked into a betrayal of their children," she said.

"If passed, this amendment will remove from children the most important right that they have - that is the right to parental protection and advocacy."
____________________________

Tipp shooting victim 'may not have been target in gang attack'

Gardaí believe a man shot dead in Co. Tipperary this morning was not the intended target of the gang-related attack.

The man, who was aged in his 30's, was shot in the stomach when he answered the front door of his house in the village of Golden just before 7am.

He died after being brought to hospital in Clonmel.

Gardaí believe that up to two gunmen were involved and they may have been looking for a second man who was staying at the house on Chapel Lane and had recently received a threat to his life.

Gardaí are now examining CCTV footage.

The scene has now been sealed off and the State Pathologist is due to arrive there later.
_____________________________