Saturday/Sunday
SIPTU withdrew from negotiations on a new wage agreement in protest over the Government's controversial Budget treatment of the low paid. SIPTU president Mr Des Geraghty described the proposals as socially divisive and an attack on low-income families. Several senior trade union leaders expressed frustration at the way low-paid groups were dealt with in the Budget.
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, addressing the annual conference of Ogra Fianna Fail in Longford, defended the Budget, saying it was a three-year strategy delivering the biggest gains ever for single-income married couples. Mr Ahern praised former Fianna Fail taoisigh, especially the late Mr Jack Lynch, but referred only indirectly to Mr Charles Haughey when mentioning the implications the Moriarty tribunal had for the party.
Fianna Fail won eight of the 17 seats in the Udaras na Gaeltachta elections held in Cork, Donegal, Galway, Kerry, Mayo, Meath and Waterford. The remaining seats went to Fine Gael (5), Labour (1) and Independents (3) with a recount of votes called in the Galway constituency. Voter turnout was about 50 per cent but in parts of Galway it was as low as 12 per cent.
Monday
The Flood tribunal heard contradictions in the evidence of Mr Joseph Murphy, jnr, and the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs, Mr Ahern. They differed on the amount of the payment given to Mr Ray Burke as discussed during their two meetings in mid-1997 and on Mr Murphy's professed knowledge of the sale of his company's lands.
Mr P.J. Stone, general secretary of the Garda Representative Association, urged gardai to settle their pay claim under the Partnership 2000 pay round and to vote to accept the Government's offer, saying the gardai were unlikely to receive any further salary increases.
The president of the Irish Farmers' Association, Mr Tom Parlon, said farm income would fall by 10 per cent this year as farmers were getting less for their produce in all agricultural sectors. Low prices were driving farm families to desperation, he said, and most could not survive without off-farm income.
Tuesday
Mr Conor Haughey, son of former Taoiseach Mr Charles Haughey, told the Moriarty tribunal that £75,546 given to him by multi-millionaire financier Mr Dermot Desmond in 1990 and 1991 was a loan to refurbish the Haughey family yacht. Mr Conor Haughey said he was not aware at that time that the money came from an account into which profits from the controversial dealings in the Telecom site were lodged.
Protesters against road-widening of the N11 at the Glen of the Downs prevented Wicklow County Council felling 600 trees to make way for the dual carriageway. The Supreme Court judgment, last week, in favour of the council intensified their two-and-a-half-year protest against the scheme. The council warned the protesters would be prosecuted if their interference continued.
The report and final recommendations of the Points Commission, set up two years ago by the Minister for Education, Mr Martin, came out strongly in favour of retaining the Leaving Certificate as the main entry requirement into third-level education. It also recommended reserving 5 per cent of the third-level intake for disadvantaged students.
Wednesday
Mr McCreevy announced he would give a £3,000 tax-free allowance to families where one spouse cares full-time for children, the elderly or the handicapped. Responding to the weeklong furore caused by his Budget, Mr McCreevy indicated that he may rethink the individualisation of the standard rate tax band introduced in the Budget which favours two-income families.
Dublin Corporation and the Eastern Health Board have launched a joint programme to tackle the homelessness problem in Dublin. It aims to provide 112 new places in two special and separate hostels for homeless people with drug and alcohol addiction problems and refurbish a further 108 hostel places. The five committees of the Northern Ireland Assembly which will scrutinise the work of the North's new ministers met in Belfast for the first time for consultations, policy development and to examine the issues facing their respective departments.
Fianna Fail candidate Mr Padraig O Biadha beat the Progressive Democrats' candidate, Mr Sean Creaven, by exactly one vote to take the last seat in Galway for the Udaras na Gaeltachta board. After three days and more than 40 hours of counting, Mr O Biadha had 938 votes to Mr Creaven's 937.
Thursday
The Government announced an extra £125 million in social welfare payments to low-paid families in an attempt to salvage national pay talks. The Irish Congress of Trade Unions decided to keep talks on hold while its taxation sub-committee explored options for budgetary reform.
The Haemophilia Infection Inquiry resumed with a call from counsel for the Irish Haemophilia Society, Mr Martin Hayden, that victims should have priority as witnesses owing to the danger of time. The inquiry is investigating how 260 people with haemophilia became infected with HIV and hepatitis C. Of those, 62 have died.
The Flood tribunal heard from Mr Michael Feely, who said his wedding in June 1989 in Waterford was attended by Mr Joseph Murphy jnr at the time Mr James Gogarty claimed, in evidence, that Mr Murphy was in Mr Ray Burke's house.