A round-up of today's regional news stories in brief
Man (65) in court on sex charges
A 65-year-old man has appeared in court in Co Kerry charged with the rape and sexual assault of a female.
Both offences are alleged to have taken place in a Kerry hotel up to 18 years ago, between January 1st, 1991 and December 12th, 1992, the court was told.
The man was arrested in Co Kerry yesterday. When cautioned, he had made no reply to the charge.
Insp Derek Smart told the court the State was awaiting directions from the DPP.
Judge James O’Connor remanded the accused with consent to bail to appear again on October 14th.
The judge imposed reporting restrictions.
Union frustration at Element Six plan
Siptu members at Element Six said they were “very disappointed” with the terms of a Labour Court recommendation aimed at securing a survival plan for the industrial diamond firm.
The court is recommending that workers receive four weeks’ pay for each year worked, to be capped at 78 weeks. The package is lower than what was on offer last January in a previous deal.
The court is recommending the abolition of shift allowances to be replaced by a bonus scheme. The court has also recommended that the company can pay 66 per cent of the redundancy deal now and the rest next February.
Ambulance centre relocation criticised
A decision by the Health Service Executive (HSE) to transfer its ambulance control centre in Castlebar, Co Mayo, to Ballyshannon, Co Donegal, almost 130km (80 miles) away has been condemned by the mayor of Castlebar, Michael Kilcoyne.
The transfer will result in the loss of 12 jobs, according to Mr Kilcoyne. He has urged Oireachtas members in the region to meet the HSE and Minister for Health Mary Harney on the issue.
Local Siptu official Séamus Burke said staff members were appalled by the move.
The relocation to Co Donegal comes just
over a year after the HSE transferred the ambulance centre from the Sacred Heart Hospital in Castlebar to Mayo General Hospital nearby.
Man (28) to stand trial in Tralee murder
A 28-year-old Polish man has been sent forward for trial to the Circuit Criminal Court charged with the murder of a fellow Polish national last May.
Michal Kurowski of Old Gallows Field, Tralee, a single man and a factory worker in the town, had previously been charged with serious assault causing harm to Michal Skotak at Race Course Lawn, Tralee, on May 16th. That charge was now withdrawn and replaced by a charge of murder on direction of the DPP, Insp Derek Smart told Tralee District Court yesterday.