A roundup of today's other home news in brief
Call to reverse social welfare cuts
The Government must now make provision to reverse the social welfare cuts introduced in the Budget as low-paid workers were now being prioritised, Social Justice Ireland said yesterday.
“Given the Government’s huge investment in the rescue of delinquent banks announced today and the welcome agreement with the trade unions to prioritise low- paid workers in the negotiations concluded overnight, it is now imperative that Government commit to roll back the savage cuts imposed on Ireland’s poorest people in Budget 2010,” Social Justice Ireland director Fr Seán Healy said.
“A Government committed to fairness would now set out a pathway to reverse the cuts in social welfare payments.”
Planning approval down 60% on 2008
Planners approved plans for 40,556 homes last year, a 60 per cent fall on 2008.
Central Statistics Office figures published yesterday that permission was granted for more than 26,800 houses and 13,742 apartments across the country in 2009, less than half the levels seen after the property market crashed in early 2007.
The CSO said plans were also approved for 8,713 one-off houses last year.
Three for District Court bench
Three new nominations to the District Court have been announced by the Government.
Solicitors Olann Kelleher and Patricia McNamara and barrister Catherine Staines have been nominated for appointment as judges of the District Court. The vacancies resulted from the deaths of Judge James Scally and Judge Dympna Cusack last year and the retirement of Judge Uinsinn MacGruairc earlier this year.
Mr Kelleher is a founding partner of Cork-based solicitors Comyn Kelleher Tobin. Ms McNamara is a member of the Hepatitis C Compensation tribunal, and Ms Staines was called to the Bar in 2006.
Boy killed by log rolling on to him
An inquest has been told how a boy died after suffering severe injuries when a 30ft telegraph pole rolled on top of him at Drogheda Port.
Desmond Dyas, from Clogherhead, Co Louth, who would have celebrated his fourth birthday today, had been visiting the docks with his father Desmond Dyas snr on November 10th last year.
Drogheda Coroner’s Court was told yesterday that there were two piles of wooden poles there and a crane was lifting some of them.
The boy was walking on a pole at the foot of the smaller pile when somehow a pole at the top became dislodged and rolled on top of him.
After the medical evidence was given, the coroner Ronan Maguire adjourned the inquest at the request of the Health and Safety Authority which is continuing its investigation into the death.