A round-up of today's other stories in brief...
Law lecturer one of two special advisers appointed by Minister
UCD law lecturer Tom Cooney and Jane Lehane have been appointed special advisers by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Alan Shatter.
Trained as a solicitor, where he acquired experience in labour law and prisoners’ and Travellers’ rights, Mr Cooney lectured in a range of law subjects in UCD. In the 1990s he was chairperson of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties and chaired the working party on child sexual abuse.
He is also a former member of the executive of the Anti-Apartheid Movement. In recent years he has been best known as a frequent contributor to the debate on Israel, the Middle East and the war in Iraq, which he supported.
Ms Lehane was parliamentary assistant to Mr Shatter when he was Fine Gael spokesman on justice.
US support cited by priest
The greatest support in the US on issues of injustice, rights and discrimination in Northern Ireland came from outside the Irish-American community, campaigner Fr Seán McManus has said.
“Those who helped me most were not Irish and often not Catholic,” Fr McManus said. “They were Jewish-Americans, Italian-Americans and African-Americans.”
His book, My American Struggle for Justice in Northern Ireland, was launched last night at Dublin Castle. Fr McManus has lived in the US since 1972 and he founded the Irish National Caucus lobby group in 1974.
“Congressman Mario Biaggi is the great Italian example,” he said last night, “and Congressman Don Payne is the prime African-American example.”
Council selection declared ineligible
The People Before Profit group says it is taking legal advice after its choice to replace Richard Boyd Barrett on Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council was declared ineligible, writes .
The party selected Melisa Halpin to replace Mr Boyd Barrett on the council after he was elected to the Dáil.
Councillors last month accepted Ms Halpin’s co-option but they have been told by county manager Owen Keegan that the election is “null and void”.
Ms Halpin is employed as an administrative staff officer by Dublin City Council and, under the Local Government Act 2001 and a subsequent order made in 2004, local authority workers above the grade of clerical officer are prohibited from being members of county councils.