A round-up of today's other home news in brief ...
Dublin Bus strike talks to resume
Talks at the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) between trade unions and management at Dublin Bus are to resume today in a bid to avert a threatened strike.
The talks centre on plans by the company to address a €31 million shortfall through measures including 160 driver redundancies and a fleet reduction of about 120 buses.
Siptu and the National Bus and Rail Union have a mandate from members for strike action in the event of the company introducing its cost-saving plans unilaterally. Yesterday Dublin Bus management held bi-lateral talks with the LRC staff.
Last week Fine Gael Dublin South TD Olivia Mitchell claimed routes 115, 117 and 49X would be cut completely. She said there would be cuts of up to 50 per cent on the 161, 118, 116, 114 routes, and cuts of up to 30 per cent on routes 14, 14A, 44 and 48A.
She said the details had been given to her in discussions with senior Dublin Bus management who also revealed the only major routes to escape the axe would be the 15, 16 and 46.
Gardaí launch poster campaign
The Garda Representative Association is to run billboard advertising as part of its campaign against pay cuts for gardaí. The adverts will appear at 48 locations in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Dundalk, and will be on display for the next two weeks.
The poster depicts two gardaí assaulted in the course of their work and reads: “Gardaí face injuries in the line of duty. They do not deserve pay cuts.”
Adams not ruling out envoy role
Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams said yesterday that he wouldn’t rule out acting as an envoy to the Middle East.
At the third annual Ennis Bookclub Festival, Mr Adams said: “I would be very cautious about going to be involved and I would have to be involved on my terms, not acting for any other government . . . I wouldn’t rule it out, because I think there is a moral obligation. What is happening in the Middle East is disgraceful.”
Mr Adams made his comments during a panel discussion on ‘Reading Politics’ chaired by Caimin Jones at Glor yesterday.
Other panel members were Labour spokesman of Foreign Affairs, Michael D Higgins TD, former Irish Times journalist, Conor O’Clery and PR consultant, Terry Prone.
In response to a question from a member of the audience on the future of the printed word, Mr O’Clery said that newspapers are in big trouble as they face the challenge of selling news for tomorrow that is available online today.
Bar ‘encouraged illegal drinking’
A bar in Co Laois has been found to have breached the alcohol industry’s code on responsible selling for running promotions that encouraged “illegal or irresponsible drinking”.
The Weighbridge Inn, The Square, Portarlington, was found by the independent complaints panel of Meas (Mature Enjoyment of Alcohol in Society) to have acted irresponsibly in advertising two promotion nights in the Leinster Expressnewspaper.
One offered “any two pints, bottles or spirits €6” from 9pm-11pm; the second said “all drinks €2.50 between 1.00-5.00pm”.
The panel concluded the promotion was also a breach of the Intoxicating Liquor Act, 2003 as it relates to “happy hours”.