A round-up of today's Irish news stories in brief
Taxi Council members stage sit-in
Two members of the Irish Taxi Council were last night staging a sit-in at the office of the Taxi Regulator in Fitzwilliam Square, Dublin.
A spokeswoman for the Commission for Taxi Regulation said a small group identifying themselves as representatives of the Irish Taxi Council had forced entry to the office and were refusing to leave the lobby area.
It is understood that up to seven taxi drivers were initially involved in the sit-in but just two remained in the office later in the day.
The protest followed an afternoon meeting between the council and the Taxi Regulator over the future of the industry but the protesters did not include the delegation that met the regulator.
Frank Byrne, president of Irish Taxi Council, said that the men said they would not leave until they got a guarantee that Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey would meet them and that action would be taken to rescue the sector. Taxi drivers have been calling for a cap on the number of taxi drivers in the industry.
The Commission spokeswoman said the Commission “cannot and will not, be influenced by such action”.
Taxi man forced to drive at knife point
A taxi driver was forced to drive 200km at knife point after his car was hijacked, writes Áine de Paor
The horrific journey began when the driver picked up a fare in Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim, shortly after midnight on Sunday. He was told to drive to Roscommon town, but the male passenger produced a knife and threatened the driver.
The taxi man’s three-hour ordeal began as he was told to drive to Limerick. Along the way he was threatened by the passenger, who gardaí described as being 6ft, with tight dark hair and glasses.
On reaching Limerick, the driver was ordered out of the car in the Mulgrave Street area close to Mount St Lawrence Cemetery. The passenger then drove off, leaving the taxi man at the side of the road. The car was later recovered by gardaí, and a technical examination was carried out.
Salvation Army opens port centre
The Salvation Army officially opened a new pastoral centre at Dublin Port yesterday, writes Patsy McGarry.
“The Chaplain’s Centre” is based at a premises on Tolka Quay Road and will include a chaplain’s office and an area for prayer, reflection and meditation for both staff and passengers at the port.
Captain John Parrott, an ordained Salvation Army minister, was appointed chaplain to both Dublin Port and Dublin airport in 2007.
Two charged with attempted robbery
Two South African men have been sent forward for trial charged with an attempted armed robbery of a Connemara post office last November. Michael Huston (44), of Luí Na Gréine, Western Distributor Road, Galway, and Quintas Smith (30), of Main Street, Cavan, are charged with conspiring to rob Inverin post office, Teach Mór, Inverin, on November 11th last year.
They are also charged with having imitation guns on the same date with intent to carry out a robbery. Both are further charged with having a knife, balaclava and gloves which were to be used in the commission of a theft at the post office on the same date.
Judge Mary Fahy returned both for trial to Galway Circuit Criminal Court on April 27th. She remanded both of them in custody, with consent to bail as set by the High Court.