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Russian crew paid following tense talks
Four Russian crew members of an Irish freight ferry were paid €49,900 in arrears and €3,000 in expenses after tense negotiations at Dublin Port yesterday, writes Mark Rodden.
Four hours of protracted negotiations took place before the men received the money they were owed after the Merchant Bravery arrived at Dublin Port yesterday morning.
Ken Fleming, the International Transport Workers' Federation and Siptu representative at the head of the negotiations, described the talks as "unpleasant and tense".
"Despite prior commitments by ADG/Unimar, the crewing agency concerned, there were constant attempts today to deny these men their rights," he said.
Mr Fleming said that at one point, when it looked like the four men would not be fully reimbursed, he had to contact the union's legal team with a view to having the vessel seized.
Norfolkline charters the Latvian-owned vessel but is not responsible for its crewing or technical management.
Mr Fleming plans to follow the ship back to England next week, where ITF representatives will negotiate on behalf of the remaining 18 crew members, whom he says are owed up to €100,000.
Two die after road collisions
A woman in her 40s died in north Dublin yesterday after her scooter was involved in a collision with a truck. The collision took place at 1.20pm on the Malahide Road, Coolock. She was removed to Beaumount Hospital where she later died.
Gardaí at Ardee Garda station in Co Louth are investigating a fatal traffic collision that took place at Mullacloe, Ardee, on Thursday evening. A man in his 20s died when the car he was driving was involved in a collision with a lorry on the Ardee to Tallontown road. He was the sole occupant of the car.
Private unit for children planned
Mount Carmel Hospital in Dublin yesterday announced plans to open the State's first private unit for children. The 20-bed unit is part of a €50 million investment programme unveiled on Thursday.
The unit will include a new urgent-care paediatric facility with 24-hour consultant-led support.
The hospital says it will offer a complete range of health care services for children aged under 18.
€2.2bn from EU to agriculture sector
Ireland has received more than €2.2 billion in EU agriculture support in 2005 and more than €38 billion since we joined the EU, statistics issued by the Department of Agriculture indicate, writes Seán MacConnell.
The figures show that the gross value-added in the agri-food sector is worth more than €11 billion, almost 9 per cent of GDP. Last year agri-food exports were worth almost €7.6 billion.
There are 110,000 people employed directly in the industry, and a further 53,000 working in the food and drinks sector.
The compendium is available on the department's website: at www.agriculture.gov.ie
Meanwhile, the levies farmers pay to help reduce the level of disease in their animals will be cut by half from January 1st. The cut, announced yesterday by Minister for Agriculture Mary Coughlan, will save farmers €5 million annually.
Inquiry into man's death in fire
Gardaí in Co Waterford have begun an investigation into a fire in which a man, believed to be in his 50s, died early yesterday, writes Ciarán Murphy.
Tenders from the Tramore and Dunmore East fire services attended the scene, at an apartment on Strand Road, shortly after 2am. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.