A round-up of today's other home news in brief
Doctors vote for industrial action
Non-consultant hospital doctors have voted overwhelmingly for industrial action in a dispute with the Health Service Executive (HSE) over proposed cost-containment measures,
writes Martin Wall.
The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) said last night that 99 per cent of non-consultant hospital doctors who took part in the ballot had voted for industrial action, up to and including all-out strike.
The HSE is seeking to reduce overtime payments, abolish a paid meal break and to discontinue a number of allowances and grants for non-consultant hospital doctors.
The IMO said “the burden of cost-containment would have to be equally and transparently shared among all healthcare workers and their unions”.
HSE national director of human resources Seán McGrath said the organisation was disappointed at the result of the ballot.
Top prize for Meath family
A Co Meath family headed by Aileen and Larry McEntee has won a first prize of €250,000 in a draw organised by campaign group North East Pylon Pressure.
Some €750,000 was raised in the “monster draw” that formed the greater part of €1.2 million in funds raised by the organisation in the last 14 months.
The first prize winners from Nobber, Co Meath, are the brother and sister-in-law of Meath Fine Gael TD Shane McEntee and GAA star Dr Gerry McEntee.
High-tech ‘Pea Pod’ for Coombe
The Coombe Women and Infants’ University Hospital in Dublin has installed a new machine that will allow specialists to research the development of newborn babies.
Dr Margaret Sheridan, consultant neonatologist and paediatrician, said the Pea Pod infant body composition system cost over €100,000, which was raised through fundraising events and donations.
Claim for broken hip rejected
A man who claimed he broke his hip after he was knocked to the ground by a garda has lost his High Court action for damages against the State.
A jury yesterday found that Philip Quirke (60), St Teresa’s Gardens, Dublin, was not pushed over by a garda acting in the course of her duty, causing him injury.
Mr Quirke had claimed he was pushed over by the garda while crossing the street outside a public house in Stoneybatter, Dublin, during the early hours of September 27th, 2003.
Yesterday, after a five-day hearing, the jury delivered a majority verdict rejecting Mr Quirke’s claim.
Teacher denies indecent assault
A 62-year-old teacher accused of indecently assaulting a primary school pupil over 40 years ago told gardaí that he did not know whether the boy had made up or imagined the allegations.
Det Garda David Nolan said the accused denied in a 2002 Garda interview that he touched the boy improperly or made the boy touch him on numerous occasions at a Dublin school between July 1966 and June 1970.
The accused has pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to 12 counts of indecently assaulting the boy on those dates.
The trial continues.