More news in brief.
FG critical of Government over Irish Box
Fine Gael has criticised the Government for failing to protect fish stocks in the Irish Box off the west coast, writes Lorna Siggins. "Super-sized" Spanish deepwater freezer vessels are not being policed adequately in Irish waters, in spite of warnings by Fine Gael to the Government last January, the party's marine spokesman John Perry has said.
The vessels, which Mr Perry describes as five times the size of traditional Spanish vessels, have been allocated a blue whiting quota in international waters. However, they also have temporary permits for EU fishery area VII, including the reduced Irish Box, off the west coast, Mr Perry said, and several have already left Vigo in north-west Spain for this area.
The Irish Box waters have the most important spawning and nursery grounds in the north-east Atlantic, and activity by French, Spanish and British vessels in the area increased substantially from 1994.
Haughey released from hospital
Former taoiseach Charles Haughey has been released from hospital after being treated for a recent deterioration in his health associated with the prostate cancer he was diagnosed with in 1995. Mr Haughey (80) was said by friends yesterday to be in good spirits. He was admitted to Dublin's Mater private hospital a fortnight ago after his condition deteriorated at home. His condition has stabilised and he has returned home, although he remains seriously ill.
'Dutchy' Holland due for release
The man named in court as shooting dead Veronica Guerin is due for release from prison this morning. Patrick Eugene "Dutchy" Holland was due to be set free from Portlaoise prison, where he has served nine years of a 12-year sentence for drugs offences.
Holland (66), who was a member of the John Gilligan drugs gang, was originally sentenced to 20 years in 1997, but this was reduced in 1998 to 12 years after he appealed the sentence to the Court of Criminal Appeal. An appeal of his conviction was rejected at that time.
During Holland's trial, Garda Marion Cusack, who arrested him, stated her belief that he was the man who shot dead journalist Veronica Guerin in Dublin on June 26th, 1996.
He has denied involvement in her murder and plans to travel to Rome to undergo a lie-detector test.
Crash victim identified
A Co Donegal man who died last Monday, when his car crashed through a hedge and burst into flames on the main Dundalk to Castleblayney Road in Co Louth, has been named. He was identified by gardaí as Frank Curran (37), The Grange, Letterkenny.
His identification followed a forensic examination.
Appeal for help in finding man
The wife of a man missing from his home in Co Galway since last Tuesday has made a public appeal for help in locating him. Relatives and friends of the man travelled to Clare in an effort to find the father of two.
Ernie Cooke (52), Mulrook, Kilcolgan, was last seen in Ennis after he got a bus from Gort to Barefield, Co Clare, at 11am on Tuesday.
It is understood he got off the bus a short time later in the tiny Clare village after becoming agitated during the journey.
'Eithne' back from South America
The Irish naval ship the LE Eithne sailed back into Cork harbour yesterday evening, after its 90-day visit to South America.
The ship visited Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay to mark the 149th anniversary of the death of the founder of the Argentine navy, Co Mayo-born Admiral William Brown.