The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform has announced the allocation of €800,000 from the European Refugee Fund to various projects assisting refugees in Ireland.
The Department of Justice sought proposals for funding earlier this year, and a selection committee of government and non-governmental agencies assessed them.
The projects that received support include aid for a specialist centre for the care of victims of torture, backing for women's networks providing support to female asylum-seekers, a pilot project providing human resource training for local authorities dealing with refugees, and financial support for a voluntary assisted-return programme for unaccompanied minors and sub-Saharan Africans.
The projects are widely spread around the State.
Health service job talks continue
Negotiations are believed to be continuing between Irish health authorities and Prof Aidan Halligan, Britain's deputy chief medical officer, who is said to be the front-runner to head to new Health Service Executive (HSE) in the Republic.
An Irish doctor, he is among a number of people shortlisted to administer the HSE under the health service reform programme.
A spokeswoman for Prof Halligan said: "He is very happy in his current post".
A spokeswoman for the HSE said nobody had yet been appointed to the post. "The process is ongoing. There is still a shortlist of candidates," she said.
Negotiations have been taking place with Prof Halligan.
The person appointed will be responsible for the health service's 100,000 staff and its €10 billion budget.
The post carries a salary of an estimated €250,000 per annum. It is also expected to attract a bonus of about 20 per cent.
Issuing of trawler licence deferred
The Irish super-trawler owner, Mr Kevin McHugh, intends to continue his efforts to relocate his 104-metre vessel, Veronica, to Australia, following yesterday's decision by the Australian government to defer issuing a licence, writes Lorna Siggins.
Mr Niall O'Gorman, finance director of Mr McHugh's company, Atlantic Dawn Ltd, said Mr McHugh was still confident of winning Australian support for the relocation.
"The federal government has informed us that it won't license any vessels until the end of October and we welcome that all interested parties will have a chance to have a say on the issue, Mr O'Gorman told The Irish Times.
The 10-year old Veronica is the second of Mr McHugh's super-trawlers - slightly smaller than his flagship, the 144-metre Atlantic Dawn which has been fishing off west Africa. Veronica was removed from the Irish and EU registers and transferred to Panamanian registry to facilitate European Commission approval for Atlantic Dawn.
Three van-loads of drink forfeited
Three van-loads of drink taken from an unlicensed Temple Bar club were forfeit to the State yesterday. The River Club, Wellington Quay, was also fined €50 by Judge Cormac Dunne - the maximum under law - for operating a shebeen on January 30th.
Dublin District Court heard the owner Michael Flattery had instructed solicitors to defend him last February, but that since then there had been no appearance by anyone for the company.
Insp John Quirke said when the manager, Paul McGuinness, informed gardaí the club did not have a licence, a search warrant was obtained. On January 30th, gardaí loaded three vans with beer, wine, sprits, and champagne. A doorman remarked to the inspector: "I wondered how long it would be before you arrived."