A round-up of today's Irish news stories in brief
Truck driver on trial over heroin seizure at port
A Dutch truck driver has gone on trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for attempting to import heroin worth €5.6 million in a shipment of flowers.
Jan Stuurman (40), Curran Ard, Athy, Co Kildare, has pleaded not guilty to five counts of possessing and importing the drugs with another truck driver at a customs warehouse on Castleforbes Road, Dublin, on December 16th, 2008.
Opening the case for the prosecution, Paul Greene SC told the jury that Mr Stuurman and another man, Thomas Van Son, were both driving 40ft trucks for a reputable Dutch transport company called Van Dongen.
He said they will hear evidence the trucks entered Dublin Port with flower consignments. Customs searched the vehicles and found the heroin at the front of Mr Van Son’s trailer. The trial will continue tomorrow.
French case to be heard next month
The book of evidence prepared by the State against a man and woman charged connected to the death of model Katy French will be ready next month, Navan District Court has heard.
Kieran Ducie (40), Lambertstown Manor, Kilmessan, Co Meath, and Ann Corcoran (29), Tolka Road, Clonliffe Road, Dublin, are charged that on December 1st and 2nd, 2007 at the Statoil service station, Bracetown, Clonee, Co Meath they conspired to possess cocaine for the purpose of supply to another.
The second charge alleges that at Lambertstown Manor, Kilmessan, they intentionally or recklessly engaged in conduct – the supply of cocaine – to Ms French and failed to get medical assistance in a timely fashion, which created a substantial risk of death or serious harm.
Judge Tom Fitzpatrick remanded Mr Ducie and Ms Corcoran on continuing bail to appear again on July 28th.
Man jailed for sex abuse of two girls
A Derry man who sexually abused two teenage girls who were regular babysitters to his three children has been jailed for nine months at the local crown court, writes George Jackson.
The abuser (34), who cannot be named in order to protect his victims’ identities, admitted six charges of indecently assaulting them, attempting to indecently assault them and inciting them to commit acts of gross indecency in his home on December 11th, 2008.
Judge Desmond Marrinan was told the two girls were babysitting on the night they were abused. The man was also placed on the sex offenders register and was disqualified indefinitely from working with children.
Environment key to growth - Gormley
Ireland cannot return to economic growth unless we continue to strengthen our environmental protection laws, the Minister for the Environment has said.
John Gormley yesterday launched a report by the Environmental Protection Agency entitled Science into Action for a Sustainable Ireland. The report highlights some of the ways in which Ireland is working to protect the natural environment through scientific research.
Mr Gormley pointed to the estimated €50 million in savings shown in analysis provided by EPA-funded research, which reported a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from landfills of 0.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually.
Extra security staff deployed on trains
Extra security staff have been deployed on trains and at railways stations following a rise in attacks on Iarnród Éireann staff.
This is according to a new report from the Railway Safety Commission, which also indicates a continuing improvement in safety performance for Iarnród Éireann and Veolia.
As in the last five years, there were no passenger fatalities or serious injuries recorded last year on the railways.
Independent councillor elected to post of mayor of Roscommon
Independent councillor Luke "Ming" Flanagan is set to become mayor of Roscommon county, while the Taoiseach's brother, Barry Cowen, has been elected to the equivalent position in Offaly, writes Stephen Collins.
Fianna Fáil lost control of Roscommon to an alliance of Fine Gael and a group of Independents and Sinn Féin, who are opposed to the downgrading of the county hospital. The coalition confirmed yesterday it had reached agreement that would see it taking control of Roscommon County Council, with Mr Flanagan taking the mayor’s position this year and Fine Gael taking it for the next three years.
In a statement, the coalition said councillors with a diverse range of views and been brought together in direct response to the Government’s plans to remove AE and surgical services from Roscommon County Hospital.
In Offaly, Fianna Fáil retained control of the council, with Mr Cowen being comfortably elected to the post of cathaoirleach.
Call for employers' 'equality' audit
Employers should be audited for breaches of anti-discrimination laws because it is often impossible for individual workers to make complaints, an equality conference has heard.
Dr Judith Rich, an expert in discrimination in hiring policies, told the conference in Dublin Castle yesterday that employers must be systematically investigated for compliance with equality legislation, as workers commonly did not know when they are being discriminated against and fear victimisation if they do take a complaint.
'Consultant' paid while on holidays
A “consultant” who worked for the Department of Communications was paid while on holidays “for administrative convenience”, the Employment Appeals Tribunal was told yesterday.
Geologist Dr Vincent Gallagher is claiming he was an employee, but the department has said he was self-employed. In January 2006, Dr Gallagher began working under a new contract as a mine geologist. This two-year contract was extended until January 2009, after which he said he was unfairly dismissed.